Magical Snow

Saturday morning we got quite a snow storm. We heard that it was going to be 3-6 inches. Well, they've got to do more than that from convincing me not to go out and get my hair cut. So at 9am, I headed out just as it started to snow. Well, I headed home 3 hrs later. I get sucked into the mall and spent probably 1 hr in Barnes & Noble just feeling excited and intelligent. I think that I love books so much because if I stand in the cookbook aisle long enough, I actually think 1)I can cook and 2) I want to cook. Every other section has a similar effect on me. Maybe not the romance section, but then again I don't frequent those aisles, so I can't really tell. Oh, and the travel section...don't get me started because that is not the topic of this post.
So, back to my snow story. Those of you who have lived in snow and survived, know that when they say 3 inches are going to fall, you don't stop your whole life, just to be inside, certainly not if it means having overwhelming hair for one more day. You assume that the plows will be out and doing there job to make everyone safe and happy AND alive! Well, you would assume that because you don't live here in the frozen tundra. It was 12:30 and I was driving home. The roads hadn't been touched by a plow and 3 inches had already fallen. Cars were fish tailing everywhere. I am a safe and cautious driver in snow and I was constantly waiting for Mr. Can't Get Off My Cell Phone to flip his car around 3 times and end up driving into my hood. It didn't happen, but it could have. The roads were horrible. So, as I sit on Main Street at a red light, I was thinking to myself, 'why aren't the plows out?' Just then I see a plow going in the opposite direction. Happiness? No! The plow was up! He was however salting the street. That just made me a little on the psycho side, so I crept home (I would have been speeding cause I was so mad, but I know better) and wrote an email and made a phone call.
So, Monday at work in the faculty room, we were all chatting about the weather, etc. I was expressing my frustration with the natives and one man who told me he was on the public works board asked me in all seriousness 'Did you expect them to start plowing before it had finished snowing?' He really thought that was ridiculous! Um-yeah, just like they do in all the other snowy states that I have lived in! Then one co-worker who has actually never left the state piped in with 'Our state is one of the best when it comes to snow removal!' What kind of crack was she smoking? I'm not sure why she thought she should add that since she has no point of reference unless of course she has taken upon herself to do some independent research on the topic! The natives are so defensive!
Anyway, I went home and didn't shovel, but instead went inside, turned on the Christmas tree and the fire and vegged. It was lovely, due to the canceling of Stake Conference and all. We just enjoyed our weekend until we realized that it sleeted almost all day Sunday and just froze onto a lovely layer of snow. I couldn't even leave the house to take supper to a friend who just had a baby. I have failed the R.S. calling chain!
It snowed another 2 inches or so last night and we are supposed to get a few more tomorrow. Shoveling aside, I have been mesmerized lately by the snow.
It really is magical! As I was driving home yesterday in it, the snow on the ground and in the air was all sparkly and glimmering. You know how in animated movies they try to make it seem like it is millions of diamond chips on the ground? Well, that is what it is like. Just gorgeous. Then last night I stood at my back door. The deck light was on and I watched the snow as it fell and swirled around the light. One second it would be falling straight, only to start falling up and then to the right and then a bunch to the left. I can't explain it adequately, but know that even though I hate salting and scrapping windshields, etc. I am loving the snow for it's beauty. Liz, I'm going to take some pictures tomorrow I hope and load them up. We don't have any dirty snow yet. Just beautiful white piles. As I live out in the country it is beautiful to look out at the acres and acres of land covered in snow and then to see a red barn popping up.
Winter has it's perks. Ask me again in two months.