Blizzard in a Bottle

I scrambled inside from the dusk and climbed straight up to the wooden fireplace mantelpiece to survey the evening harbor! Resting beside a brass candlestick was a miniature glass snow globe with a tiny red-and-white lighthouse anchored inside. Prime maritime weather station! I planted my shoes firmly on the polished cedar, wrapped both plush hands around the heavy glass dome, and gave it an energetic upside-down somersault. Whoosh! When I set it upright, a whirlwind of glistening white flakes swirled through the water, drifting down like gentle undersea snowflakes around the little tower. A high, bubbly laugh escaped me as I leaned back against the brickwork—our coastal storm is officially observed, charted, and settling down for the night!