Snow... No Snow

It was supposed to snow here today, but the weather apparently didn't cooperate. First it was supposed to snow Sunday night into Monday, and earlier today, Monday night into Tuesday. Instead, we're getting what we have always gotten, rain instead.

Being as someone who lives in a place where snow falls but rarely, I look forward to snow with a child-like anticipation. Not that at work we'll get a "Snow Day" (although that has happened in the past), but just to see it come down, for the silence to fall over the world, to take joy in the sight of fat flakes drifting down from above, painting the world white, and the glittering carpet it creates in the sun.

I'll never forget the most interesting winter weather I have ever experienced. It happened when I lived in New York state, and it was an ice storm. It even made strange noises when it fell, creaking, groaning sounds that must have been coming from the trees around us. I also remember how the storm hitting the windows made a clicking noise, like someone was tapping something hard on the window panes.

The next morning, I went out, and the world was transformed into a fairy forest. Every branch and leaf and needle was covered with a coating of ice, and it fairly blazed when the sun shone upon it. Even the telephone wires were completely covered, sheathed in ice so that they, too, shone.

The surface of the snow, now covered by a thick coating of ice, had turned slippery and slick, just perfect for sliding on in your snow boots. It was like ice skating without the need for skates or a rink! Incredibly fun, even if I did fall down a lot. More worlds of wonder awaited me in the little bit of woods that abutted our back yard, and in the place under our second floor deck.

Our deck was not constructed very well, and had larger than usual gaps between the wood planks that made up the floor. Now, it was a forest of icicles, one more than a foot long, making up a fairy chandelier that ran the length and breadth of the deck. It was incredibly beautiful, and I wished it would have lasted longer.

Of course, being just a child, I don't remember the bad parts of the ice storm that I know about today. Lots of trees fell down, and some people had their roof collapse from the extra weight of the ice. Even so, I still long to experience another ice storm, to see what I remember seeing as a child. I wonder, will I have the same attitude now?