Part 2/5:
As the narrator steps outside, there's a sense of admiration for the day, despite the cold. The environment is described as "a beautiful day out," and there is a conscious effort to tend to the garden, even in winter. The mundane act of working the soil is almost poetic amid the snow-dusted scenery. However, this tranquility is accompanied by the surprising sight of white, which draws curiosity—what exactly is the white stuff? It turns out to be snow, more than just the anticipated one inch; in reality, it blankets the ground with about four inches of fresh, fluffy snow.
An amusing moment unfolds as the narrator searches for dirt, only to find the cabbage patch filled with snow. The revelation that they've never seen a white cabbage underscores the unusual conditions for the time of year.