School’s cancelled, businesses closed early. It’s noon and we still have no snow. Great to have a day off and all, but now we’ll probably have to make up a weather day. Wait…look! A snowflake! For an hour only the faintest bit of snow coming down. Then, here it comes! Huge snowflakes falling, heavier and heavier. It’s gonna stick! We’re gonna have snow! “Do you want to build a snowman?!”
“Come outside!” appears on the neighborhood text thread beckoning us to come out and play. Neighbors appear, bundled against the cold, wearing hats, gloves, scarves, and pulling children on sleds down the now icy street. Someone’s passing out slices of King Cake. A few doors down, everyone’s invited to an impromptu gathering with drinks and conversation to warm up before venturing back out into what is fast becoming a winter wonderland. Excited voices, wet shoes by the door, good company, come on in, everyone’s welcome!
A few minutes warming up and back out into the snowy day. “Do you want to build a snowman?” We try but the snow’s too dry and cold to pack. Maybe we can make snow angels instead. The whole neighborhood’s outside. Kids and adults. The littles are being pulled in makeshift sleds by their parents. The atmosphere is fun and festive and cold. The snow is piling up. It’s an unexpected holiday.
Someone texts, “Sledding on the hill by the school.” We walk down the street, careful not to slip on the ice, in groups, speaking to neighbors we know and those we don’t. No one’s a stranger. It’s good to be out in the falling snow greeting friends and neighbors and random people walking around and enjoying the day.
There’s a sledding party going on when we reach the hill. A few legitimate sleds, but anything from plastic bins, to trash can lids, to cardboard boxes is working and anyone who wants to have a turn can experience the exhilaration of flying down the hill. If you’re going fast enough, your momentum will take you all the way down and across the street until you bump into the opposite curb. It’s amazing. We don’t get to do this often. In fact, I’ve never sledded on snow before and now I want a sled. And more snow!
Dark begins to close in. The littles are frozen and ready to go home so the party begins to break up. We soon realize why homes where snow is plentiful have mudrooms for wet clothing. Our house is strewn with various items of outerwear hanging over every door and chair back to dry out. We opt for a bowl of chicken and dumplings for dinner. It warms us from the inside. Just the right choice for a cold snowy evening.
School is cancelled again for the next day. I wait until the roads thaw a bit and go for a run but there are still icy spots and motorists are warned not to venture out unless necessary. I figure the snow’s warmed enough in the sun to build that snowman so I stick my head in the door where Kent’s working and ask, “Do you want to build a snowman?”
We bundle up and go outside but the snow’s still too cold, too powdery to pack. Disappointing. I do manage to make a tiny snow-mound person in the front yard. The neighbors up the street have a great snowman and I wonder how they managed it. I guess their snow got more sun. Maybe we’ll try again tomorrow. Social media is filled with snow pictures. Sledding, snow angels, snow ice cream, and weirdly enough the people south of us got way more snow than we did. Looks like this whole week will be a school holiday. The kids down the street felt sorry for one melting snowman and relocated him to another yard. He looks a lot worse for the wear, poor guy, but they tried.
By the third day, our neighbor’s great snowman starts to melt and we learn the truth. He had good bone structure. Solid pine. What a great idea. I wish we’d thought of it. Next time we’ll know.
Meantime, it’s twenty degrees outside and there’s still snow on the ground. In Alabama. Go figure. And tomorrow’s another day. “Do you want to build a snowman?”
Do You Want To Build A Snowman? Songwriters Robert Joseph Lopez/ Kristen Jane Anderson Lyrics @Wonderland Music Company. Inc., Wonderland Music Company, Inc.
photo credit c. kendrick and b. smith
