Snow…..

Finally, getting near the end of winter and we had a Leap Year snow storm!  To folks who live in areas that receive considerable snow every year, it wasn’t much of a storm, but it did fiddle fart around and dump a few inches randomly.  By randomly, I mean some lower elevations received more than their higher friends, one side of town more than another, and of course vice versa.  Typical around here!  [Hm, sounds like an oven I had once, neither could it bake evenly or level.]

The biggest excitement with this snowfall was that, being retired now, I didn’t have to drive in it, worry about school delays, answer the phone a million times or wonder if everyone was getting home okay.  With a cup of coffee in hand and warm toes, I could reminisce on past snows.  I could hibernate right here at home, in my bear den, and grin.

There were the days when a new snowfall lured us out with our sled for hours of play.  We’d continue on in the light from the cabin window until Mom announced supper.   We’d leave a supply of snowballs on a ledge in our snow fort to freeze up overnight.  Sometimes we even had a moonlight jaunt on the dogsled.  We didn’t live in Oregon back then, a homestead in Alaska was our address.

Then when we lived closer to town, there was the whole issue of the school bus.  Heavy snowfall would have our Dad tromping the trail with his snowshoes first, then we’d layer up and head out for the bus stop.  The plows were always out early, but you’d have to climb over the mountain of snow to get to the road.  Then, you might have to help push the school bus up Cemetery Hill.  This is the same hill that was sometimes cordoned off for organized sledding parties.

Okay, the sun is shining and I’m out of here for a bit!

Homestead in Alaska 1949 or '50