What 5-8″ of snow doesn’t look like – Photo: L. Weikel

Pffffft

Yes, that would be the sound associated with this major snowstorm that was hyped all weekend, the one that was supposed to disrupt transportation in the area, caused most local school districts to cancel classes, and even forced county offices to close.

It was a big zero.

Yes, I know there were a few pockets that may have seen some accumulations. But around here we received nowhere near the 5 – 8” of snow they were predicting in dire tones. And I, for one, was disappointed. I can only imagine how bummed the kids who got a day off from school felt. Surely they were looking forward to a day of sleighriding.

Sleighriding

Ever look at a word you’ve used a million times before and had it look weird to you? As if you’re seeing it for the first time?  That’s how I’m feeling about the word ‘sleighriding’ at the moment.

Am I dating myself? I guess I should be using the term ‘sledding’ if I want to be more universally understood by those who speak the English language. But that’s such a boring term compared to sleighriding, in my opinion.

It’s funny. It makes me think of the books I read as a youngster. The Bobbsey Twins. The Happy Hollisters. I’m trying to remember the precise books I enjoyed in which people actually did still ride in sleighs. Literal hitched-up-to-horses sleighs, which of course are completely different than sleds. It probably wasn’t either of the series I just mentioned.

Nevertheless, I remember seeing sleighs in my mind’s eye as I read those stories, so I know I they must have been richly described. I also remember imagining the weight of fur blankets heaped on laps and the sting of ice crystals on cheeks as the children in those books made their way with their families to visit neighbors and share news.

So I wonder why (and how) I came to describe the pastime of hurling oneself down a slippery slope on a Flexible Flyer or a metal saucer  or even a toboggan as ‘sleighriding.’

Flakes Are Falling (Now)

I just took a look outside and I see that snow is actually (finally!) falling – and apparently sticking. I wonder just how much will actually accumulate.

Having a good snowfall in the middle of the night (with temperatures expected to hover at or just above freezing and abundant sunshine predicted the next day) is as disappointing as a vast sky sporting high clouds that reflect city lights and obscure the most brilliant of stars on a night one hopes to see meteors cascading overhead.

I guess I’m yearning for some simple pleasures. It’s hard not to get caught up in the complicated circumstances confronting all of us wherever we look, especially right now. Especially with so much of what we’ve taken for granted for so long under threat.

Taking a Page From the Pups

These kind of meandering thoughts are one of the perils of committing to writing every single day for 1111 days. Since my 1111 devotion was never intended to be a denial of my true feelings, the occasional dip into melancholy (or despair – given the circumstances and my inherent optimism consequently feeling slapped upside the head) can be understood if not forgiven.

I don’t like dwelling here too long, though. So I will share with you the smile my Boston Terriers bring to my heart when I stop tapping at my keyboard long enough to glance across the room toward the snores emanating from the couch.

Man, between Zen Puss and these two, you really might get the impression our house is chill, eh? I need to take a page from my pets. That much is clear.

(T-725)