i wish i'd taken this, but i didn't. i haven't yet managed to combine means & opportunity (i.e. have the camera with me when the perfect flakes--finished forming before they fall--which happens often here, but certainly not reliably every time--line up so photogenically along a sleeve). they really look just like this, though. really.

on my way to school yesterday, walking by our 2-doors-down 9-year-old neighbor jeshua to exchange our usual "have a good day at school!"s to one another, i stopped to catch a few in the wool of my mittens.

"jeshua. how many sides do snowflakes have?"

i hoped he'd know simply because he's a kid, & i'm still determined to believe that everyone else did learn this in kindergarten too & just forgot. he didn't, but he answered perfectly: he held out a hand to catch a few & squinted at them, trying, before saying a word.

"i can't tell."

"here, look," i said, & stomped up his half-plowed walk to show him the good ones.
"it's six. if they're finished growing, it's six every time."

"cool!"

yeah. it is.