According to Webster, happiness is “a state of well-being and contentment.” That emotional state the dictionary refers to is arguably different for everyone. Time Magazine offers a quiz you can take to tell you how happy you are (or how happy you think you are).

I don’t know much about all that, but one thing I know FOR SURE is that there have been a lot more perma-grins on display around our little mountain town in the past few weeks. A lot less frustration. A lot more giggles and laughs. And I have a theory it might have something to do with this:

And this:

(And the 67 inches of fresh snow we’ve had since January 29th).

After an all-too-sunny December and January, we’re finally feeling the contented happiness that true winter brings.

The abundance of snow hanging silently in the trees…

The smooth, white blanket of enticement laid out before us.

Heartfelt smiles emerging in the most hidden of places.

As much as these factors coincide with the accumulation of inches, there is a flaw in this science and it was on display today.

In inches alone, today would have registered on the low end of the scale. Technically, we had ONE INCH of fresh snow:

Seriously. That’s what was on the snow marker overnight.

But this doesn’t look like an inch.

And it certainly doesn’t feel like an inch.

And these photos were not taken in some out-of-the-way secret stash.

We found endless lines of boot-deep powdered sugar without even searching.

Even tracked areas right off the groomed runs were soft, fluffy and forgiving.

But how can that be?

This should be the second-least-happy day this week.

All the good lines should be gone.

All the powder should, technically, be tracked out.

And yet…

Turn…

After turn…

Line…

After line…

The happiness remains…

The happiness multiplies…

Far beyond our expectations…

And definitely, beyond measure.

– April