I like the way I write that without a swear word, it comes off nice and fun, almost pleasant. It should be, right?
I guess the snow isn't the problem. I see the newbies out there taking pictures of it and writing home about all the "happy snow". Snow is fun. I mean, look how happy my dog is. She has no idea yet how freaking cold it is about to get.
And it is the cold that sucks the vitamin D out of us, not literally of course. What happens is that the sun shines-- it shines a lot around here-- and it's deceiving because the only way to enjoy it is with layers and layers that no warm rays will ever penetrate.
As I shake out my ski-pants, I feel hard core, I must be, after all I choose to live this way, and no, it's not all fun. I know it’s going to get cold and I’m secretly looking forward to it. Does everyone remember last year when it reached minus 46C (that's like -50F for you non-Canadians)? Hell yeah, it was so awesome my snot froze in under three seconds. I still get excited talking about it. The kids missed school five times because of the cold, and when I say that it’s with pride, because we don’t close school at no sissy temperatures around here.
We don’t really live in Saskatchewan until the temperatures drop from fun to bitchy. That’s when all the excitement happens out on the prairies: Skating, shoveling, hockey, BBQing challenges, pushing out the car, snowboarding, shoveling (did I mention that already), skiing, digging, snowshoeing, boosting the car, skidooing, curling, checking the weather, warming the car, putting on the layers of clothes, building snowmen and women, maybe even a family, sledding, falling down the icy stairs, ice sculptures, making "tire" (pronounced TEERE. It is warm maple syrup-- or some other imitation since this is Saskatchewan-- on the snow... yum!!!), shoveling again, (let's face it, it never ends)... Maybe it’s how we fight the depletion of vitamin D but I always feel so busy in the winter!
Regardless, my car gear is packed, just need to throw in a Snickers, I got mighty hungry last year pushing myself out of the snow. My family has their winter layers ready- fat, long underwear, shirt, sweater, jacket, ski-pants, parka, toque, mitts, scarves... did I miss anything? and then slipping on those ugly ten pound winter boots is always a joy, in fact we keep them displayed on the rack as if they’re a monument we couldn’t live without-- well, to be fair, we couldn’t.
Any good winter stories? I could use a laugh.
6 comments:
This Floridian just can't relate.
I think it was minus five in the UK last night. Does that count? And we had a...bit...of...snow the other day and everyone said it looked gorgeous, then moaned about it. Gosh, Tanya. I don't know if I'd cope!
Gosh. I can't imagine. Stay strong.
When I lived in New England, shoveling snow made me so hot and sweaty that I had to remove my coat while I worked. Snow isn't all bad; just look at all the fun things you can do in it.
Wow, your winters sound amazing. My husband and i would never make it. We lived in Georgia for nine years and thought ice storms and 6degrees F were the epitome of "cold". Now we live in Sacramento, CA, where winter weather is sometimes down to 32 degrees F at night, and in the mid to high forties, even fifties by day. Just reading about Saskatchewan winters gives me goosebumps -- the chilly kind, not the Stephen King kind.
I like winter. Could do without the minus temperatures. Pretty sure we've never made it to -50 (F-cause, you know, I'm an American. :) )But -20 with a nasty windchill will close the schools.
We need some more snow though. It's kind of lacking, which means less kids playing outside, digging forts and doing snowmen.
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