When I read this haiku, I laughed at it at first, which is why I wanted to illustrate it. Anyone who lives in Syracuse, or has been to Syracuse, knows that the snow is intense here. My family recently moved from the Boston area to Virginia, and we don't really have winter down there. It's kind of sad. I love the snow. There's something magical when it covers everything, and I just love the smell of the air, the way the sky looks after a snowfall. I love playing in it. I just love everything about snow.

With the illustration, I wanted the trees symmetrical, framing the piece, like a wedding arch. And when I drew the figure with the shovel, I used my own coat in the drawing, because that's the coat I have to wear when it gets really cold.