I was driving home today after work earlier than usual, and decided on a whim to take a different turn to see how if there were any potential pictures waiting for me around the corner. There was indeed. Long Island was hit with a pretty significant storm last night leaving it today under a complete blanket of shimmery sparky snow. The sun was beaming through the trees at the gold course and if you've seen this post you'd understand why I'd be willing to give it a shot. So I start to bend around the corner slip sliding on a road that was barely plowed all day, and I see the shot. The shot I would have framed and hung in my house for the rest of my life. And it was all because of the timing. The trees were perfectly covered with last night's snow, the sun was at the right angle, it was golden and warm, it was just sitting there waiting to become a master piece. I pull my car over somehow in the bank of snow, grab my camera and start walking to frame the shot. I look up to take a few test shots and get my settings right and then...nothing. No click. Just a little blinking battery icon. It was dead. [Insert expletives here] "I'm really not far from home, I can get the other battery" So I jump back in the driver seat and spin away from the curb. I start heading home while avoiding all the kids crossing the road to get some sledding in before it got dark. I'm cursing at the guy shoveling the snow in front of my car, I'm cursing at the red light, and I'm still wearing my camera around my neck WITH the seatbelt on of course, AND the headphones from my iPhone in my ears all of which is cutting off circulation to my head. I fishtail all the way up the driveway, jump out of the car with it still running, don't even close the car door behind me when I realize "I might need those keys to open this door" Run back to the car, run back to the house, and inside. I get the battery, run back downstairs, back in the car and pull out of the driveway. "I can make it, the sun hasn't moved that much right?" I slip slide my way back, with even more cursing at the people in my way and the kids with their flippin sleds. Park the car, jump out and...it's gone. Now it's just a couple of trees in the shade. No magic, no highlights, no warmth, no more glistening snow on every branch. No more framed photo over my mantle. It was gone. I looked at it and had to hold tears back. I could have had it if I had been prepared. When am I going to get these conditions again? I'm not even usually home at this time of day. And the snow? Even with all the snow we've had this winter, it hasn't looked like this once. Not this sticks-to-every-single-tiny-branch kinda snow. I stood in the road with the cars going by spitting slush up at me. I walked back to the car. Lesson learned. I'll be ready next time.