Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
By Margery McCurdy Plummer

As a child, I think the most exciting days of the winter season were those when I would look out the window on a cold morning and see the earth covered in a deep, unexpected snow.

My thoughts immediately turned to snow men, snow balls, sledding, snow forts and snow ball fights.

The snow men we made were huge, awkward looking figures made by starting with a snow ball and rolling it through the snow to huge proportions looking somewhat, if not perfectly, like a man. (snow)

The forts were somewhat more complicated. A large amount of snow could be collected and piled into a solid wall by packing the snow as solidly as possible. Friends could be stationed behind the wall, or fort, from where they hurled solid snowballs at the “enemy”.

Our sledding was done mostly up and down the hill leading to the present Legion Hall on top. We made a lot of smooth rides and about as many tumbles, but it was the main thing looked forward to as we anticipated a snowfall, followed closely by intermittent snow ball fights.

We were outside most of the day, coming in occasionally to get some food and warmth, eat the snow cream we made and leaving a trail of the odor of wet gloves that had been dried in front of a fire.

I agree with people who say that we don’t have nearly as many big snows as we did years ago. Some snows lasted for several days, but that first day of a surprise snow was more about fun and excitement than the ones that followed.

My adult appreciation of snow is different from that I felt as a child. Whereas earlier it was the fun, sledding, snowballing, the excitement of it all. Most of those have been relegated to a much younger, energetic generation.

My appreciation now lies primarily in the beauty of a snowy day, not forgetting the dangers of driving or walking on a snowy, slick surface. With that in mind, I can wish for only a one day snow, staying just long enough for the side of my brain which registers such beauty to get a “snapshot” description of another of nature’s wonders.

When I first step out the door, I’m amazed to find a world wrapped in white silence. Even a sound far, far away is cushioned by the snow, and only little tracks of animals that came in the night can be seen on the surface of the covering of snow.

Snow can make the most unattractive, dirty objects look almost like things of beauty. Garbage can tops are turned into white caps and a line of fence posts with a little snow on the tops can look like marching soldiers and even the most unattractive of little houses, if it has enough gables and irregular lines can look like little castles. Snow can camouflage unattractive objects or landscape or a gray day into a work of art.

I don’t think we have as many deep snows of a long duration as we once had, or perhaps my memory isn’t as durable as it once was. Maybe it’s the global warming. Perhaps our dog, Skippy, may never see one of those bona fide snows that we remember, but I’ll remember, and if we do have one, while it’s fresh, I’ll find an isolated place that seems free of our environmental contamination, fill a large bowl with snow, pour in a little milk, a lot of sugar, some vanilla extract and have a dessert fit for a king, or queen. And I’ll give some to Skippy. He likes regular ice cream, so I know he’ll like this, and he can’t hide it under a couch cushion, bed pillows, under something or behind something like he does many objects he finds or are given to him or a piece of corn bread I once found under the cover of my bed!

Snow may be thought of as play for kids, but I think its nice for children of all ages.