The snow finally falls, after weeks of impatient waiting. For too long, the trees stood bare, the grass lingered stubbornly, and the usual softness of winter was absent.    We are used to a winter that hides, one that cradles us in the gentleness of time. The snow usually buries the dead leaves, softens the harsh pavement, and shrouds the transformation. Spring life grows under the blanket of our quiet worlds, ready once the snow melts. This year, the transformation is raw, u