snow

            Snow is a novelty here. I can remember snow once in my childhood, my Granny and I watching a few flakes fall. It was magical, and it still is.

            As newlyweds, I remember one rare snow when my husband made what I lovingly called a snow-dirt man at our house on the gulf coast. Yes, it was more dirt than snow.

            We spent our oldest daughter’s first Christmas with my in-laws in Kansas, and I remember it snowed that Christmas morning; just enough to enjoy watching as it fell- quickly melting.

            When the girls were really little, we vacationed in the Smokies, and it changed from picnic/hiking weather one day to snow the next. I remember after we drove to a spot higher in the mountains, enjoying the beauty around us, we stopped to get out and let the girls feel it. Emily, about two, just cried because she didn’t have her mittens and her hands were cold. Later we enjoyed swimming in the heated pool where we were staying, while watching the snow fall outside the big picture windows.

            A few years ago Mitch saw something online about how to make snow. He had the air compressor and pressure washer; I’m not quite sure how he did it, but he just waited for the temperature outside to be cold enough. He made snow- at least it looked like it in pictures, not too close up. It was pretty cool. The kids described it perfectly- it looked like frozen French fries.

            Last year, we were amazed by snow at our house. We all woke up before dawn and played in it, not knowing it would last all morning. Joseph, not knowing any better and following the rules of no shoes on the trampoline, took off his shoes and jumped in the accumulated snow, then came in crying with cold feet. That snow lasted for a few hours and built up to 7-8 inches in the yard. We all 5 got to stay home all day. The kids changed into dry clothes over and over, built snowmen, and thoroughly enjoyed it. We put a big snowball (think of the middle part of a snowman) in the deep freezer, and then took it out on a hot summer day.

            Today the snow was expected. The weather channel has been predicting it, so the kids have been making plans: “We are going to build a fort. I’m going to make a window in my snow house.” We drove home from the coast tonight in the snow. We felt it out our windows and watched the flakes falling toward us, the big snowflakes especially visible in the lights. The kids continued their plans despite the fact that it was already past bedtime. They knew they would get to enjoy it while it lasted. It was barely snowing, mostly just wet when we got home, but the kids got bundled up and went outside. Not enough for making forts, but they did make a few little snowmen.  I had hot cocoa waiting when they came inside.

            I’m glad it doesn’t’ snow here that often- I like the novelty of it.