Kate's Description of the Christmas Snowstorm

Thought you'd care to hear from more Careys than just myself...

The Friday before Christmas, this part of the country was hit by a snowstorm! Mother and Lynne were out shopping at the time, and Father was at work, so it was just Mia, Murray and I at home. About 1:00 we were making cookies,etc. when we noticed that the wind had picked up, and that tiny ice crystals were falling. The precipitation changed from ice to snow to ice a few times, and then it really started falling fast (within half an hour, the ground was nearly white!). Mother and Lynne started for home swiftly, but they had to drive very slowly along the twisty, ice-coated roads, and the drive took longer than usual. About the time they started home, Father left work for fear of being snowed in and also started for home. He, too, had a rough drive, and passed several cars in the ditch, before he finally came home. All this time the snow hadn't slowed at all, and by the time of his arrival (about 2 hours later) the ground was completely covered, and blowing, swirling clouds of snow obscured much of the surrounding landscape. It only slowed a little over the next night and day, and we were snowed in all weekend.

Fortunately, the snow was perfect for sledding, and Saturday morning we ventured out. It was at least three inches above our knees almost everywhere, and, in the drifts, a good bit deeper than that! Moving was difficult, but we managed to blaze a trail up the hills, and up a gap cut into the tree-line for our sledding convenience by our landlord. That first day, sledding was tough because the snow was so deep, but the next afternoon it was much easier, and we rode down several times before we came in. Molly loved the snow. She delights to chase us down the hill on our sleds, pouncing on us and licking us when we get to the bottom. As it was up to her chest in many places, she had to bound like a dolphin to get anywhere, and thus she wore herself out to a perfectly-content-to-lay-in-front-of-the-heater state.

Tuesday morning we got up early so as to shovel out the driveway. Our driveway is rather long, and it slants upward fairly steeply, and the snow was deep enough to bottom-out the van, so we had a lot of work to do! It took us a few hours to get the driveway clear, so Father didn't get to work until past noon.

The snow had stopped by then, but the wind hadn't. Tuesday, it got very strong, and by Wednesday the power company reported 1,000 customers without electricity in a nearby state. We thought we would probably lose power, too (after all, it made sense- the power goes out and stays out on the slightest excuse in this valley). However, on Christmas it only flickered a few times (an incredible fact) and, even though the wind flatted an old barn in the field, knocked over a tree in one of our friends yard (squashing an old building, but not harming their house) and ripped the siding off another friend's house, this area never lost electricity!


NB~ And it has kept snowing. Some melted over Christmas and a few days later, but we have nearly non-stop snow this week... ~ Miss C.

Oh the Thrill of It!

Monday night it began to snow.
The temperature dropped and tiny snowflakes fell all night.
When the Careys awakened, the world was completely white.
Oh, the thrill of it!

Dad tried to drive to work.
The un-plowed, ice-covered, hairpin-curved country roads wouldn't let him.
His family had him to themselves - for the whole day.
Oh, the thrill of it!

Plans for playing in the snow were made.
Chores and school were to be completed first, and then the sledding would begin.
But the sun began to glow, the public schools were canceled, and a snow day was decided upon.
Oh, the thrill of it!

The search for the winter clothes commenced.
It seemed that these had not been stored for easy retrieval, and forty-five minutes of looking were needed to locate all that was needed.
Full winter garb was donned for the first time since having been stored in early spring.
Oh, the thrill of it!

Then the Careys marched outside.
The sleds were claimed, the fence was scaled, and the first human footprints on the cowfield's snow were made.
The quest for the perfect sledding hill was commenced.
Oh, the thrill of it!

The quest was more of a challenge than anticipated.
The field boasted hills, bumps, and rises of every sort and description, but there was always to much of one thing, or not enough of another.
Then Dad found Our Sledding Hill.
Oh, the thrill of it!

Then they began to sled.
Different combinations of Careys slid down on sleds, or fell off of sleds, and then rescaled the hill with sleds in tow.
For more than two hours the fun continued.
Oh, the thrill of it!

The time to return to the house came sooner than anticipated.
Some of the family were cold, some were tired, and others could have lived outside forever.
One last ride was organized.
Oh, the thrill of it!

The Careys left their snow pursuits.
They headed for the house and enjoyed an easy lunch, an old-time radio program on the Pilgrims, and cups of warming hot chocolate.
Most of them spent the rest of the day reading.
Oh, the thrill of it!

Evening came and still the family was together.
Cookies were baked, supper was eaten, and all lingered over the last few hours of the day.
Bedtime prayers were voiced in thankfulness and praise to the Creator and Bestower of all good things.
Oh, the thrill of it!

Each went to bed in his own time.
Tomorrow would come with its joyful duties and labours, but still the memories of The First Snow Day would linger long after the this snow had left and others had come to fill its place.
How good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

Oh, the thrill of it!

First Snow

We had our first snow recently. There were about two inches of snow on the ground, and six inches of snow on the porch! These hills were too pretty not to share - I can't wait for lots of snow. Want to come sledding?

N.B. These photos (and the footprints - must walk in snow... can't help it...) are mine. My younger sister and Dad took yesterday's photos.