Wednesday, December 09, 2009

I Wish I Lived in Iowa Today

So I hear ya'll are having a blizzard....

We had one too. Last Friday. In Houston. It was cold. The Christmas party I'd been looking forward to for months was cancelled. Schools dismissed early. Milk and bread flew off the supermarket shelves. The local networks ran a constant feed of breaking snow news all morning.



If you look very closely, you'll see my boys through the near white-out conditions. This was at it's very worst.

Seriously, though, Houston got some snow last week. Twice I looked out the window and saw huge falling snowflakes, I think you Yankees call them "flurries". Places west and north of us got a little accumulation too. We. Did not. Too close to the coast, I guess. Too warm for anything to stick. We. Were very disappointed.

I used to live up north. I twice missed school the entire month of February due to snow and ice and then some ice and snow. One year I drove home for Christmas across the southern part of Virginia through the Appalachians with the radio announcers telling me if I didn't have anywhere to be not to venture out. My car spun five circles that day. I made it home though. I still don't know how. Dear Mr. Channel 2 Guy, what I witnessed THAT day was a white-out. There was no white out here, but thanks for staying positive.

I chuckle a little when I watch Texas prepare for snow. It's sweet, actually. When I was a northerner I took for granted every year that it would snow. I knew we'd get a day off eventually. Non-sticking flurries were old hat. Accumulation meant shoveling and the thought of driving anywhere in that would evoke grumbles from all around. Here in Texas, EVERYONE gets excited for snow. Any snow. Or even sleet for that matter. It just so rarely happens.

Yes. We were disappointed to have no tiny snowman. No weak snowballs. But we revelled in our ten minutes of flurries. Because that's all we could get.

I'm thinking of all you blizzard survivors today. Been there, done that. Just not in a very long time so I am quite jealous. Be safe. Stay warm. Enjoy your piles of snow for me.

And I'll enjoy my 65 degrees and sunshine for you.

7 comments:

Fran said...

I was laughing all day at my old friends from high school who still live in our town. Everyone was so excited about the snow! I was a little jealous though since I was just North of anything even slightly resembling snow myself. But winter isn't even here yet, so I will hold onto hope for a tiny snowman's-worth of snow for us this year.

sherrypg said...

Here's what part of Iowa looks like.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=179034&id=606471404&l=a8714007b6

Jana said...

OK, Fran - quit making fun of me!!

Seriously, though, so sorry the snow didn't stick for you guys. We're not far from you and we had quite a bit....so weird.

Star said...

We had ten cm yesterday!! (About four inches I think)!

The kids loved it...Buddy was mad when i took him inside, instead of letting him stay out & play!

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Corinne was out for a looooong time today with her buddies. I enjoyed the snow and their antics from the warmth of my kitchen while wearing two pairs of socks and a thick, woolen, oversized men's flannel. I am SMOKIN hot today!

Mommy Daisy said...

I'm glad that the kids got a "snow" day though. I would miss it terribly. Though I hope that you truly are enjoying that 65 for me, because we haven't even seen 10 today. And the wind chill is in the negative numbers. Brr!

Nikki said...

Ha! Our high temp on Wednesday was 12F! Brrrrrrr