I woke up this morning with
hopes of a frosty scene out my window.
At this point, I’m not so concerned about my injured plants, but rather if any random standing water has a thin layer of ice on it!
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If the ground has a hint
of whitish to it, we may hurry and gather our dollar section mittens and
graze our fingers against the dirt and try our best to make snow pebbles. We may even race up to the nearby mountains in
jeans and a hoody because trying to find our ski jackets would take too long and we
might miss it all. Some people hike up
with discs in tow hoping for one fast ride down. Usually, by the time everyone is actually awake
and dressed, the ice/frost/ “snow” has melted.
It’s so rare when the hills are whitish-ish that some parents
declare a personal snow day and let their kids go to school late. These are the awesome parents.
I remember seeing snow fall, like actual flakes falling from the sky (in my neighborhood) twice in my lifetime. The first time was with a
friend, and we hardly knew what it was. Is this someone’s laundry lint? Is Styrofoam falling out of a truck? Is this what acid rain looks like? Is it okay to breathe? When we finally realized it was snowing outside
we didn’t know the proper protocol.
Should we get the camera? Should
we run outside and play in it? Since we were in our 20s, running outside and frolicking like Buddy the Elf seemed awkward. So we decided to lean over the balcony and
try to catch the snowflake(s) with our tongues. I may be
remembering with rose-colored glasses but I think it was snowing for 15-20 minutes!
Towards the end of this snowfall I was finally awed into becoming very still.
As I watched the snow fall to the ground at its' peaceful pace, it was as if I were watching-and at the same time sensing-the effect of lullaby to a
soul.
The second time I remember
it snowing in my neighborhood has become part of our family history. My husband took the kids to our gym to warmup in the outdoor hot tub. While they
were relaxed and soaking, it snowed all around them! I wasn’t actually there with them but I have embedded the
image into my brain so concretely, that it's as if I experienced it myself. And it
was magical, I have to say.
It’s certainly not all
bikinis and tank tops in Northern California, but a thin fleece jacket
works fine for most winter days. A knit
beanie goes a long way with a pair of shorts for the school kids despite their mother’s wishes and laments, “WHAT IS WRONG WITH WEARING A COAT?”
“WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, KIDS WORE COATS TO AND FROM SCHOOL!"
I love the mild weather changes here but sometimes we and by "we" I mean my kids, long for sledding, snow treks, white landscape, and snow recreation. It seems there is heart warmth that comes from acquaintances welcoming you inside from the cold. Even a camaraderie. We miss out on the internal ruggedness that comes from living with real weather.
I took a trip to Chicago one summer and I noticed all of the friendly, colorful clothing people wore downtown. It was such a contrast from the darkly clad citizens of San Francisco. Yellows, bright blues, oranges-happy colors I thought. I shared my observation with the lady at the store counter and she said, "We're all just so excited about summer!" It seemed to me there was an ongoing summer celebration in the streets of downtown Chicago-a bustling, grateful parade.
So today, I woke up and layered up. Then I went outside looking for signs of something unfamiliar, rare, strange, and yet marvelous that would represent the 19degree weather! Many of us will do this....and then we'll talk about it for days.
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| A solid block of ice! |
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