Snow

I am not at all popular with my love for snow, but I truly love it with all my heart.

When I was a kid that was my biggest refuge...I could go out and play in the snow for hours and hours and be left alone by everyone. 

From about mid November to sometimes late April we would have snow on the ground.  There was none of this "I wonder if it's going to be a white Christmas" stuff.  That was something you could count on, the only thing you couldn't count on is if you were going to be able to make all the things you had planned because of how much snow you might get, and have to travel through. 

For the most part the snow would build on the sides of the roads to the height of, at the very least, 3 feet.  They were great for hiding behind, using to sit in, and always made it easy to ski to the hill. 

The hills on the school ground would grow to be 15 plus feet long before Christmas, and as kids we would dig holes, make forts, have snowball fights, and hide in at every recess.  There was never a time when we didn't know what to do, there were plenty of things to do, just never enough time to do them all.  For the most part everyone took part in the building, the fighting, and the hiding, but of course there were some who would stay on the playground with the teacher and stay clear of the hill fun.  I was not one of those kids, I loved to dig holes, make slides and would never shy away from a good snowball fight.  I don't ever remember anyone getting hurt, not at school.  I remember having a lot of fun and learning to love my Canadian winters.

Later, in my teen years I learned to cross country ski, and well, I couldn't get enough.  I skied all over my town, went to near by forests, and from time to time went out to the conservation area close to our home and use their trails.  This was long before ski skating became popular (something I disliked having to deal with on the trails after it did).  I could spend the best part of a Sunday going along those trails, getting all the fresh air I could handle and then making it back to town to hit the small mom and pop restaurant downtown to have a hot chocolate with some whipped cream in it.

For me, this was life in Canada in the winter.  I loved snow, I learned to live with it, but more than that, it was the life I wanted.

As an adult I moved away from Canada for a bit, and missed the seasons so much I had to come back.  Yes, I was living in one of the more tropical area's on the mainland of North America, but I missed the trees turning colours, I missed the smell of the first falling snow, and I missed everything coming back to life again in the spring.  So home I went.

Since returning, almost 8 yrs ago we have rarely had a white Christmas, we have had a few, and I mean a few days here and there that Zeb could go running down a hill on a sled.  It's not been the winters I remember, it's not been the fun I used to have, it's been sad, really sad.

I want Zeb to have the kind of experience I had, I want him to spend hours at the hill going up and down and up and down until he just can't do it again.  I want him to build forts, throw snowballs and enjoy all that a Canadian Winter should have to offer.  Where is it?

I feel, honestly, my kid is getting ripped off here.  He is almost 8 yrs old, has seen maybe 3 white Christmas' and can't ever run down the street, sled on the end of the rope and play till his hearts content.  WHERE IS THE SNOW PEOPLE!!

For those of you who hate snow, Texas is a wonderful place to go, so please do....I hold you all completely responsible for the lack of Canadian winter here, as you all wish it away!  GO!!  I want my winters back!!