Oh my, this is wonderful. I literally laughed out loud at the tasting snow comment. It's sad to know even back then we didn't treat our hospital workers well (my grandmother was a nurse for 50 years). I lived in Dallas briefly and the day it snowed like 1/2 inch a friend called and said "don't go to work". I'm like it's 1/2" of snow and I only have to drive 2 miles? He's like "no one else can drive in it and someone will hit you". I hope you get your snow! They were saying 6-14" here (Kansas City) but this morning we got more like 2 (and that seems generous) and now they are saying wave 2 will mostly miss us and maybe we'll end up with 3" at best. We need moisture and honestly I was hoping for a little bit more snow this time too! Good luck.
This was well done Jackie. I grew up in Western New York (Buffalo suburbs) which has become synonymous with snow. I have now lived a great portion of my life in Minnesota where the snow is less but the weather can be defining. Your story captures many of the wonders of snow. As you might imagine the snow stories of Buffalo can be a bit ridiculous. I remember the post script to the blizzard in 1977 when the eventual melt came, cars were found under enormous snow piles including one in front of my highschool (by a bowling alley). I imagine someone showed up for league night and figured they would get their car later :) -- With the arrival of February I plan to post about looking forward to spring in the coming days. I will forward a draft link direct to your email or if you wish this link will only work on Thursday evening once it posts. This is exactly the wrong way to get people to read my posts as this link is dead until Thursday at 6 pm :) https://markdolan.substack.com/modern-smithing
Of course you loved snow as a child. Any kid who doesn't adore the heaven-sent sugary topping is seriously maladjusted. Your continued adoration of snow, into adulthood, is indicative of a buoyant, optimistic streak in your psyche or, if I put on my grim psychoanalytic glasses, a decidedly juvenile nature.
I grew up in New York City, where the snow quickly became black and brown and gray, and was at times liberally flecked with dog shit (in my childhood people did not have to clean up after their canines), and most definitely did not taste like brown sugar.
Nevertheless, I loved it. A great snowstorm meant no school. When I was very young, everything, naturally, looked a lot bigger, and when we had great Noreasters, which deposited up to 24 inches of snow, and the piles of shoveled snow were as high as six feet, the mounds of sugar were positively Himalyan.
However, as I aged, it seemed as if people got more and more hysterical and frightened over the merest storms. When I was young, the media was busy getting bent out of shape over Vietnam, Civil rights and riots, and two to six inches of snow, in new york city, was not a major news event. I remember walking 10 blocks to elementary school with 6 inches on the ground, and we did not think anything of it. (Yeah, I know I sound like a think I'm Abe lincoln)
I first had an epiphany of America's growing weakness from January to March of 1981. I distinctly remember a day when the New York Post's front page was consumed by just four words: "TWO INCHES OF SNOW." (In this time frame, which coincided with an assassination attempt on President Reagan, another banner headline of the post consisted of only these words "A fever of 102," as the President, in the course of recovering, had a blip of a setback. )
Nowadays, the snow never seems as glorious as snow days of old.
Nowadays, the micey men flutter like frightened tulips about snow falls that are less than a foot. For example, in NY's last snow storm, most of the City got well under 12 inches, and some spots got measly readings of 4 to 8 inches. Nevertheless the histrionic mental midgets of the media spoke as if we were Leningrad, under the Nazi siege, freezing to death and starving.
And, Man, I really, really hate the reports of wind chills. They always exaggerate the cold by telling us that with the wind the temp really feels x degrees colder than it is. It's akin to drinking hot tea, when your temp is being taken, to fabricate a fever and get out of school.
The one bad thing about snow is its tendency to make me put on weight. In Philip Roth's HYSTERICALLY FUNNY Portnoy's Complaint, he speaks of following blond girls skating in a park. They all had hot chocolate after skating. Philip Roth also had hot chocolate. And now I have hot chocolate.
This year I decided to prepare for and accept winter instead of dreading it as in years before. I went to a friend who’s originally from Ohio for clothing advice. The mindset has helped. It’s not that bad. I have focused too much on it NOT being sunny instead of accepting that there are seasons and this one will pass.
Your story brought me back to the blizzard of 1996 in the NE when we got maybe 3 feet of snow and I was out of school for a week. What I loved was the orange glow to the sky, how utterly desolate the world looked blanketed with snow, but the best memory was the absolute silence during the storm. I remember standing in the porch with too little on and just listening.
It was nice to be brought back to that and also to what good can come from winter, like leaving beers out in the snow or having a good winter cleaning, opening the windows to the let the fresh air in, and then turning up the heat and getting cozy.
Of course, snow days were the best when I was a kid! No school!!! I grew up in Michigan so snow was common enough (thanks to the Great Lakes.) But sometimes, it was too much snow for the plows to keep up and school got cancelled.
As I got older, went to work of the airlines loading airplanes. So I had to work outside in the snow (not as much fun. 🤣)
Eventually, at age 36, I came to my senses and moved south to North Carolina where winters are mild and the sun still shines. But the second year were here, we got 26 inches of snow overnight. A freak snowstorm! It literally shut the state down for a week.
The city of Raleigh didn't own any snow plows, and the airport resorted to using construction graders, which chewed up the pavement. We had to walk in the snow to stores to buy food. But since we had just moved from Michigan, we actually had some sleds. The neighbor kids loved that! Our daughters and the neighbor kids sledded down our street, which was a nice hill.
A different thread Jackie. I saw this post again and just enjoyed your enthusiasm. This time around I noticed how happy Opal looked. Dogs genuinely embrace the snow and it it so fun to watch. Our old cocker spaniel Denny loves to stick his face into an adjacent snow bank and then just snort. Must like the feeling of the cold snow or perhaps likes to taste it just like you.
Oh my, this is wonderful. I literally laughed out loud at the tasting snow comment. It's sad to know even back then we didn't treat our hospital workers well (my grandmother was a nurse for 50 years). I lived in Dallas briefly and the day it snowed like 1/2 inch a friend called and said "don't go to work". I'm like it's 1/2" of snow and I only have to drive 2 miles? He's like "no one else can drive in it and someone will hit you". I hope you get your snow! They were saying 6-14" here (Kansas City) but this morning we got more like 2 (and that seems generous) and now they are saying wave 2 will mostly miss us and maybe we'll end up with 3" at best. We need moisture and honestly I was hoping for a little bit more snow this time too! Good luck.
This was well done Jackie. I grew up in Western New York (Buffalo suburbs) which has become synonymous with snow. I have now lived a great portion of my life in Minnesota where the snow is less but the weather can be defining. Your story captures many of the wonders of snow. As you might imagine the snow stories of Buffalo can be a bit ridiculous. I remember the post script to the blizzard in 1977 when the eventual melt came, cars were found under enormous snow piles including one in front of my highschool (by a bowling alley). I imagine someone showed up for league night and figured they would get their car later :) -- With the arrival of February I plan to post about looking forward to spring in the coming days. I will forward a draft link direct to your email or if you wish this link will only work on Thursday evening once it posts. This is exactly the wrong way to get people to read my posts as this link is dead until Thursday at 6 pm :) https://markdolan.substack.com/modern-smithing
Austin is gearing up for another snowstorm!
I can't say that I share your enthusiasm for snow, but this is certainly a change of pace.
Of course you loved snow as a child. Any kid who doesn't adore the heaven-sent sugary topping is seriously maladjusted. Your continued adoration of snow, into adulthood, is indicative of a buoyant, optimistic streak in your psyche or, if I put on my grim psychoanalytic glasses, a decidedly juvenile nature.
I grew up in New York City, where the snow quickly became black and brown and gray, and was at times liberally flecked with dog shit (in my childhood people did not have to clean up after their canines), and most definitely did not taste like brown sugar.
Nevertheless, I loved it. A great snowstorm meant no school. When I was very young, everything, naturally, looked a lot bigger, and when we had great Noreasters, which deposited up to 24 inches of snow, and the piles of shoveled snow were as high as six feet, the mounds of sugar were positively Himalyan.
However, as I aged, it seemed as if people got more and more hysterical and frightened over the merest storms. When I was young, the media was busy getting bent out of shape over Vietnam, Civil rights and riots, and two to six inches of snow, in new york city, was not a major news event. I remember walking 10 blocks to elementary school with 6 inches on the ground, and we did not think anything of it. (Yeah, I know I sound like a think I'm Abe lincoln)
I first had an epiphany of America's growing weakness from January to March of 1981. I distinctly remember a day when the New York Post's front page was consumed by just four words: "TWO INCHES OF SNOW." (In this time frame, which coincided with an assassination attempt on President Reagan, another banner headline of the post consisted of only these words "A fever of 102," as the President, in the course of recovering, had a blip of a setback. )
Nowadays, the snow never seems as glorious as snow days of old.
Nowadays, the micey men flutter like frightened tulips about snow falls that are less than a foot. For example, in NY's last snow storm, most of the City got well under 12 inches, and some spots got measly readings of 4 to 8 inches. Nevertheless the histrionic mental midgets of the media spoke as if we were Leningrad, under the Nazi siege, freezing to death and starving.
And, Man, I really, really hate the reports of wind chills. They always exaggerate the cold by telling us that with the wind the temp really feels x degrees colder than it is. It's akin to drinking hot tea, when your temp is being taken, to fabricate a fever and get out of school.
The one bad thing about snow is its tendency to make me put on weight. In Philip Roth's HYSTERICALLY FUNNY Portnoy's Complaint, he speaks of following blond girls skating in a park. They all had hot chocolate after skating. Philip Roth also had hot chocolate. And now I have hot chocolate.
This year I decided to prepare for and accept winter instead of dreading it as in years before. I went to a friend who’s originally from Ohio for clothing advice. The mindset has helped. It’s not that bad. I have focused too much on it NOT being sunny instead of accepting that there are seasons and this one will pass.
Your story brought me back to the blizzard of 1996 in the NE when we got maybe 3 feet of snow and I was out of school for a week. What I loved was the orange glow to the sky, how utterly desolate the world looked blanketed with snow, but the best memory was the absolute silence during the storm. I remember standing in the porch with too little on and just listening.
It was nice to be brought back to that and also to what good can come from winter, like leaving beers out in the snow or having a good winter cleaning, opening the windows to the let the fresh air in, and then turning up the heat and getting cozy.
Thank you. 🙂
Of course, snow days were the best when I was a kid! No school!!! I grew up in Michigan so snow was common enough (thanks to the Great Lakes.) But sometimes, it was too much snow for the plows to keep up and school got cancelled.
As I got older, went to work of the airlines loading airplanes. So I had to work outside in the snow (not as much fun. 🤣)
Eventually, at age 36, I came to my senses and moved south to North Carolina where winters are mild and the sun still shines. But the second year were here, we got 26 inches of snow overnight. A freak snowstorm! It literally shut the state down for a week.
The city of Raleigh didn't own any snow plows, and the airport resorted to using construction graders, which chewed up the pavement. We had to walk in the snow to stores to buy food. But since we had just moved from Michigan, we actually had some sleds. The neighbor kids loved that! Our daughters and the neighbor kids sledded down our street, which was a nice hill.
Raleigh owns snow plows now. 🤣
A different thread Jackie. I saw this post again and just enjoyed your enthusiasm. This time around I noticed how happy Opal looked. Dogs genuinely embrace the snow and it it so fun to watch. Our old cocker spaniel Denny loves to stick his face into an adjacent snow bank and then just snort. Must like the feeling of the cold snow or perhaps likes to taste it just like you.