A couple weeks ago, we got our first accumulating snow. We may have had a dusting prior but this was the first for the winter that we could play in. Two or so inches were expected on a Tuesday and so got all ramped up and excited.
Let me stop here and explain something about snow in NC. It's a really big deal! I mean, I always hears it was but now I know. I feel like snow is something to talk about anyway, even in NY. But when it happens so infrequently, it's a really really big deal. So it's talked up all over the place. For days!
So we were already excited about snow on Sunday and Monday. We had even done all the silly bread and milk errands I used to tease about. (Oh please. How can you not have the necessities already and why bread and milk? Why do you need these to survive? Eggs. Butter. Wine. Yes. Well now I have kids and I get it. It's reminiscent of my days in LA when they were always waiting for "the big one". The big one here would be an ice storm though, not an earthquake. And no amount of milk and eggs could save you from that.) So Monday we watched the weather. And waited. No flakes. The schools watched and waited. No flakes. The weather channel, the news stations....no flakes. Aw heck, let's just close school tomorrow anyway. What?!
Yeah, so Tuesday was closed and no flakes. Until about 7p that night! Grrr...A full day of plans gone to waste.The snow finally fell through the night and on Wednesday had a nice little two inches to play in. Good old Cutright was busy with sledders when we got there the next morning, lots of families, extra sleds. This is why we love our neighborhood!
Thursday, the snow lingered. Friday it was pretty much gone. Saturday it was a distant memory. But still, schools were closed through the week. And when you go to year-round school, you have to make up your days - on the WEEKEND! Then, even the Saturday make up sessions were closed!
I am still confused about all the closures. They jumped the gun for sure. Then again, if you don't, you have an Atlanta situation on your hands. People got stuck on the roads for hours, abandoning their cars and walking home. Ha! How could this happen?!Then came Winter Storm Pax. Yeah, this one had a name. Exactly two weeks later, we were told to expect snow. Like the boy who cried wolf, I don't think anyone expected it to come. The schools were open on Tuesday, some even for a bit on Wednesday. Then it actually started. Around 12:30 it started to fall hard and I was completely taken back to NY winter days. The light, frantic flurry of snow in all directions. Piling up in a hurry, hiding the grass in a few hours. It was awesome!
But we were snuggly and warm in our house (with a lot of milk and bread), and out there were so many husbands who got stuck. Within a very short time, the roads got bad (no plows en force here, remember). Suddenly, we were looking a lot like Atlanta. D'oh! I wondered how this could happen again. The traffic maps showed all roadways in red. At least one friend did say via FB, "walking home is punishment enough so I don't have to say I told you so." People finally arrived home after hours on the roads, some had to stay overnight in various odd places.
But the snow itself? Awesome! About 5" or so. Deep and fluffy and wonderful. Leo and I are in heaven when it snows like this. We got the kids all dressed up to go out in it after dinner. They cried their eyes out. Southern Sissies. Nathan is very head strong these days and continues to do what he wants most of the time. When he will end up suffering and possibly learning something from the experience, I'll let him. For some reason, he is not appreciating the magic of layers when you go out to play. And Benny....gloves, mittens? No ma'am. I think I will just stick my hands in the snow then cry bloody murder over how cold they are for the next 30 minutes!Despite that 15 minute adventure, we did end up going out again. We went up to neighbor Kate's house of course. If the party isn't here, it's there. We hung out for a little while before stomping through our own tracks down the hill back home to bed.
Today, we hope to get some sledding in. Or as Leo put it, Woodlawn Double Luge Competition. It may be possible - we were supposed to be hit with ice too. Our fluffy snow layers have been weighted down with it overnight and icicles hang from the outdoor furniture. We all all home, have power, water and lots of milk and bread, so I'm prepared for whatever this fun snow day brings.
Oh yeah, and this happened . . . .
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