Redartz: As of this writing, much of the United States is experiencing a snowstorm. Well, that is, except where I live. All around us it's snowing, we're getting freezing rain and sleet, doggone it. Sorry to gripe, but I love snow, and get frustrated at missing all the good storms. Anyway, that's what gives us our topic; those frosty flakes (Not Frosted Flakes, sorry Tony the Tiger) that provided so much fun to so many of us. Of course many of us have few or even no memories of snow, largely dependent upon where we grew up. But this go-round, let's talk about what we have experienced, or heard, or imagined.
My personal snow stories arise from a youth in central Indiana. We could expect at least a couple pretty good snowstorms each winter, and were seldom disappointed. The announcement on tv of a"Winter Storm Warning" was met with concern by parents, but with glee by us kids. It meant the possibility of a "snow day" escape from school. But even if that didn't come to pass, the snow itself provided cause for celebration. Our neighborhood would, with a couple inches on the ground, erupt in snowball fights that left us soggy, half frozen but laughing like idiots. I was always perfectionistic; making snowballs as round as I could. And, I'd always try to wear a coat with a hood; otherwise some wise guy would surely sneak up behind you and ram the dreaded "slush ball" down your neck. Ooog
Closely associated with snowball fights were snow forts. Usually built to provide some degree of protection from 'enemy projectiles', they required a bit of cooperation to build. Although if you were operating in an area which had been plowed, you had a head start- the piled-up snow from plowing made a great fort, with little adjustment needed. And we would, if the pile was big enough, dig tunnels into it. Never caved in on us; it's probably another example of 'things we did that our parents would faint over'.
Speaking of plowing- that brings to mind another benefit of snow. When we got older, it provided an opportunity for some money-making. We lived in a neighborhood that had a couple good hills, with the streets accordingly loopy. If you got a decent snowfall, those streets were traps for most cars that dared attempt them. I made many a decent tip during my teens, trudging to the bottom of our hill with snow shovel in hand, and giving a bit of a push to some stuck motorist. .
Ok, I'll leave some storytelling for you all. Besides, the snow outside my window has finally started to fall in earnest, we may get a few inches yet. Hope springs eternal...
14 comments:
Yeah, you guys are really getting it ... even Texas has quite a bit of snow, which is unusual. Here in southern Saskatchewan, we've had a long cold snap (like -20 to -40 pretty much every day) for the last couple weeks. The good thing is that it usually doesn't snow when it's that cold; it'll only start snowing when it warms up a bit.
Unfortunately, our garage door opener is on its last legs and we want to replace it, but it's too cold to work outside (detached garage), so we'll have to wait until it's a bit warmer. It's always something, isn't it?
Red- I second all you wrote about. Though, my parents, nor I as a parent, ever worried about the snow tunnels, lol.
I would add "sketching" behind the school buses starting in 6tyh grade. We'd often had snow-packed streets so we'd hop off the bus and grab the back bumper, and "sketch / surf" it to the next stop, lol! You qwikly lerned not to position yourself behind the exhaust pipe, LOL!
I grew up in Oregon, about 30 m south of Portland, where the winters were generally moderate. As kids, we used to pray for snow days, but they were few and far between. I only remember a few big snowstorms through all that time. We did tend to get freezing rain, and school got called for that a few times - but somehow it just wasn't the same.
We get snow maybe once or twice a year in MS, and I don’t get as excited as I used to because I work for the DOT and we spend that time making the roads passable (MS drivers are not used to this type of weather). This time it was ice the first day, which was an adventure in itself and then it snowed today and everything refroze on the roads during the day. It might not be a major deal for most folks, but a few inches of snow, and a quarter inch of ice, shuts us down. Traffic is at a standstill in some places, miles and miles of trucks stuck on the interstate....all in all a big mess.
Hang in their Graham! The sun will shine again!
Here in the UK it was bitterly cold for a couple of weeks recently but it turned mild again a few days ago which meant the inevitable return of rain whereas it had been mostly dry during the cold snap with just a few snow flurries where I live (but there was heavier snow in other areas). Like you, Red, I look forward to snow but we don't see it very often in this country mainly due to the Gulf Stream which is warm water flowing north-eastwards from the Gulf of Mexico - the Gulf Stream ends up settling around the British Isles (Great Britain and Ireland) and keeps our winters much milder than you'd expect from our northerly latitude. Apparently there have been times in the past when climate change shut off the Gulf Stream and Britain's winter weather was more like Canada. Nowadays when we get snow it is due to cold air blowing in from Russia but this doesn't happen very often.
Today is my birthday and my mind has been turning to birthdays past - my fondest childhood birthday was when I turned 12 in 1978 and I woke up to discover that it had snowed heavily during the night and the school bus didn't show up so we all got a day off school. And even better, my birthday in 1978 fell on a Friday so it was the start of a long weekend!
Happy birthday, Colin.
Hiya,
I've spent most of my adult working life in the shipping industry . . .
@$$#%^^&*($#@!!!!! snow.
At least by living in northern Illinois I'm in a part of the country that's used to this and has to make preparations for such adversities. I have nothing but sympathy for those who live in recently hard hit areas as shown on TV. The local officials are not prepared for these conditions not due to malice or incompetence but for the simple reason that they happen so seldom that it is financially unfeasible to tie up such expensive resources as required to cope with such events.
See, I can be a grown up . . . if I absolutely have to.
On the other hand, when we got the call from headquarters that our main airhub was going to be closed on Monday due to 'extremely hazardous ice, wind and snow conditions', I responded with, " We call a day like that Tuesday."
Seeya,
pfgavigan
Mike W- boy, you don't kid around with your cold weather! Our current 10 degrees seems positively balmy by comparison. Oh, and regarding your door- yes, there must be some law (Murphy's?) that dictates malfunctions during the most inconvenient weather. Flat tires in the pouring rain. Air conditioning failure during a heat wave. And so on...
Charlie- that's some wild 'sketching'! Don't recall doing that, but we did occasionally tie a sled to the back of a vehicle. Not too bright in hindsight.
Edo- so do you now make up for the lack of snow in your youth? Guessing that you get a bit more of that'white stuff' in Croatia...
Graham- oh yes, ice is a royal pain. Not a potential source of fun like snow; ice just means wrecks, frozen doors and broken hips. Be safe!
Colin- Happy Birthday! You have good reason to remember that 12th birthday. Sounds like a winner in all respects. Hope you enjoy (enjoyed?) your day this time!
Thanks for the birthday greetings. The day was OK :)
I grew up in a village about five miles from the nearest town and if it snowed heavily we got cut off so my mother kept a hoard of tinned food and instant mashed potato just in case the worst happened (which it didn't very often).
Boy we kids could make the best of times out of any situation.
Funny to hear "sketching". In NE MI we called it "shagging", I lost more than one glove to bumpers as I watched them drive away!
Snowball fights were a favorite, of course the"big kids" would have to come around and pack theirs down to iceballs. Ouch I can still feel those on the back of my legs.
We had a decent size hill near the house (Powers Hill)that made for great sledding and toboggan runs, as long as you bailed out before you hit a tree.
Still, what had to be my favorite was "King of the Hill". It must have been the physicality and competition of that one, loved it! You get tackled or thrown many feet and land softly without getting hurt.....much.
Hiya,
I look at snow objectively . . . I only object when it's falling on me.
Looking back on my activities as a child I have to admit to a certain degree of astonishment that I survived my tender years. Beyond scampering over the 100 foot cliffs of the local quarries seeking fossils to jumping off slightly smaller cliffs into an all too shallow river beneath, the most dangerous activity that we indulged in was sled riding.
Down the streets.
Where I grew up in Wisconsin the last Ice Age didn't level the hills so we had some pretty decent inclines and the town was constructed on one. And we took full advantage of them.
Luckily a local horse fancier decided to open his field, with a truly magnificent slope. . . and the occasional tree, to the local children during the winter.
I am amazed I've lived this long.
seeya
pfg
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