February 11, 2013
Winter Has Yet to Rear Its Ugly Head

You have to admit that all in all, it's been a pretty wimpy winter.  Bone chilling cold, rain, ice and a definite lack of snow have made for a pretty irritating, unappealing winter.  I have to say I yearn for a good old fashioned stop-the-world snow storm and have yet to experience it this winter. 

Until this past weekend, that is.  Up until then however, it's been a different story. Used to be you could count on a midwinter thaw, relieving the winter-weary folks with a slight, much appreciated reprieve. Now it seems winter is one great big thaw.

Back in the day.....well I can't help but reminsce about the excitement in the air when the barometer plummeted and forecasts of a big storm sent chills down our spines.  A snow day holiday from school perhaps?  

Unlike today, with technology and the information age, one never knew until awaking in the morning to discover if that wish would come true. I do recall the delightful sensation when mom didn't wake us at the usual hour for school and the deliciousness of rolling over and snuggling in for a few more minutes.  Snow day!!

And that of course meant for a vacation day for us kids. Often what followed was a marathon day of playing "Barbies" with  my two sisters, or donning winter weather gear and braving the cold to romp in the snow.  We had numerous monster hills that were perfect for sliding on as well as for digging forts, and of course snowball wars were inevitable. 

Snowstorms back then were serious business.  

The winds rattled the windows with such force as to cause fear they would shatter.  Outside the snow blitzed in a white horizontal blur.  And often it blew like that for days.  We holed up inside, enjoying the warmth of the house and the companionship of family.  

Often we'd fire up a rousing game of Monopoly, with appointed tokens:  mom's the iron, one sister's the dog and the other the race car, mine what was left over.  That could go on for hours, or until we grew weary or irritated with one another. I usually ended up in tears because I was forced into bankruptcy. 

Then it was on to a jig saw puzzle or some other selection from the plethora of games in the closet. 

When the roar of the winds finally ceased, we'd venture out to survey the new world around us.  I recall marveling in the wind-swirled patterns of snow all around.  I still find beauty in that very same phenomena.

One year the 12' sapling tree in the front yard was completely buried by a mountain of snow that rivaled the level of our two story house.  I recall perching atop that cliff's edge, towering high above the street below. 

We waited for what seemed like days for the city crews to bite their way through the snow mounds with a huge rotary snow plow.  When they finally chugged their way down our street it was with excited thrills that we watched the snow being thrown out of the big chute atop the plow. 

That memory brings to mind a few years ago when we did have more than enough snow in these parts.  In fact, #2 son found a perch atop an 8' "No Parking" road sign at the end of the drive way-I thought that was rather ironic.  The snow was stacked so high that year that it blocked the view from the houses of cars driving by on city streets. 

Shoveling was a daily affair and after awhile there was no place to throw the snow. 

Yet still it wasn't the same as the storms of yesteryear when we truly were held hostage.

Now it takes much more than a snowstorm to slow us down.  

Rarely do we have the opportunity to languish in the sweet sensation that, like it or not, we're just not going anywhere.  The world has temporarily slowed to a crawl and Mother Nature is having her way with us.  

Well, I guess the winter of 2013 isn't over yet - and, as they always say, the basketball tournaments in March are yet to come.  I guess one can always hope....