The first sign of winter

Today there was a chill in the air and a bit of rain came blowing through campus in the morning.  Later in the day, I looked up into the Blue Mountains and noticed something that put a tiny shiver down my spine.  What I had noticed was the first snow of the year.

It's extremely difficult to view in this picture, but if you look carefully at the small U-shaped dip in the right-center of the shot, you can detect a slight skiff of snow at the tippity-top of the mountain.

Nature has sent me its first warning that winter is on the horizon. The gentle Kyrgyz autumn will not be with us indefinitely. I wonder if the teeth of the Kyrgyz mountain winter will be as sharp and biting as I suspect they might be. A person can't fight the seasons as they are inevitable and possess a strength that humans still can't quite overcome, no matter our inventions and technologies.  It's simply best to welcome and embrace the changing faces of the Earth and accept the gifts that each face offers.  All it seems I can do is make sure my tea box is fully stocked and work in the days ahead to procure a warm and furry hat and gloves. Then I might be ready to face another new season in a place I really don't yet know.