Flying over snow

I'm writing this as I'm flying home & enjoying the spectacular view from the plane; the ground is snow-covered, making the unfrozen rivers & lakes readily visible, like thousands of black fingers reaching out into the starkly white landscape. The sun is nearly blinding & the clouds are casting their images on the ground like giant shadow puppets. The pilot said the clouds are hanging around 2500', and we're well above them. Far enough to take it all in, but close enough to see long, undulating rows of what was probably snow-covered hay. And huge amorphous clumps of barren trees, like giant black toothpicks jutting up from the ground. Textural and monochromatic, like an endless Edward Hopper painting.

I love viewing the landscape from this height, as it looks so abstract. As we neared KC & started to descend, the cumulus mediocris clouds grew thick. We skimmed the tops of them and could see only white, save the flashes of the ground below in rare breaks. It reminded me of hiking up Mt. Fuji 2 years ago: traveling up the mountain at night, nearing the top, and turning around periodically to catch glimpses of the lights of the town far below. Climbing higher, it was only misty clouds, until I was fully above them and could see only stars in the darkness, which lasted until the sun began to rise around 4:30 am. The stillness was so peaceful at 12,000 feet.

I normally dislike the window seat because I feel trapped & I hate asking people to move if I need to get up, but I was lucky to get it today!