Snow Shadows

Walking to noon Mass at Holy Cross Church today I saw an interesting effect. About 11:30 a snow squall had left a coating of white on the mostly clear ground. Then the sun came out, evaporating the snow except where there was shadow. It was remarkable to see smooth shadow-darkened snow silhouettes of railings and lampposts on the pavement and walkways. By the time Mass was over, the snow had disappeared from the shadows, leaving here and there its memory in dampness.

That my first sentence said “effect” rather than “phenomenon” confirms that lately I’ve been thinking about art.