Popcorn Snow

Today started off all sunny and (relatively) warm, with only a few clouds in the sky, so we got outside and started gardening.  We've been working for a little while on this new flower bed on the east side of the house.  It's a sunny spot in the early spring, but shady in the summer, so I think it will be a real good spot for ferns, rhubarb and some early spring flowers. 

Then suddenly, our sunny day was replaced with a snowstorm.  We watched in awe as a white wall came across the fields to the east.  It looked like hail at first, but they were actually small balls of snow, not ice.

Conan dubbed it "popcorn snow".  It not only looked like popcorn, it also sounded like popcorn popping as the pellets pelted down and bounced off the walls and roof of the house.  We had a great time trying to catch them on our tongues.  Conan ate great handfuls of snow, until inevitably we got cold and went inside for some hot cocoa.

Within 10 minutes, the ground was solid white.  It snowed for about 20 minutes total, then stopped and the sun came back out.  An hour later, we had blue skies from horizon to horizon and most of the snow was gone. 

Several times later in the day Conan would stop what he was doing, give me a goofy grin, and say "Guess what?  I have snow in my tummy!" and then laugh like it was the funniest thing ever.