The Snowy South

We have had more snow here in North Alabama since Christmas Day than we have had combined since I moved here from Toronto in December of 1994. It almost has me feeling Canadian again ;-) The snow we had on Christmas Day was beautiful, big fluffy flakes that started falling about 6:30am while we were opening gifts. It made the day magical. It was Wonderboy's very first white Christmas and although the snow was short lived and not ideal for snow play it was a big treat to us!

We went to bed last night with snow falling and the forecasters predicting anywhere from 6"-10" depending on who you listened to......I don't know about where you live , but here in the Tennessee Valley, I believe it has to be one of the only places in the world that the meteorologists can be continually wrong and remain employed. I was sceptical to say the least! When we got up this morning there was a thick blanket of beautiful white fluffy snow everywhere - no grass, no road, nothing but pretty white stuff all around!! I went out and filled our bird feeder and have been delighted all day today by the steady stream of visitors that we have had. I was thrilled when I sat down in the study at the front of the house with a cup of white peony tea (oh sooo good) to look out the window and see a big fat saucy Blue Jay in the birch tree in our yard and then as I was watching him jump from branch to branch a red headed woodpecker happened by for a spell - they both looked gorgeous against the backdrop of fresh snow.

The street came to life a little while later, schools were closed and most people concluded that getting out on the roads was not a good idea (except for The Principal - but I won't go there....yet), not to mention The Governors of not only Alabama, but also Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina declared state wide emergencies (did I mention that The Principal did not think staying home meant him and he went to work? Guess what? The only other guy in his office that was there walked!! Imagine that - I expect the rest of them decided to listen to The Governor and stay off the roads huh??). Most of Huntsville was closed today - no mail, no banking, however according to an anonymous source who had to drive past Wal-Mart to come home greed is alive and well in snowbound Huntsville - there were cars in the parking lot!

Kids and parents and grandparents were out on our street walking and throwing snowballs, in front yards building snowmen, chatting with neighbors where the sidewalks were buried. We have had an all day parade of four-wheelers, one even pulling a young lady about 10 years old on an inner tube who looked to be having the time of her life!

When The Principal came in from work around lunchtime and shovelled the neighbors driveway .....they are in their 70's - he really is a good guy even if he did think the road rules didn't apply to him ;-)Once the work was done it was time for some family fun. WonderBoy has never made a "Real Official Make Your Canadian Mama Proud" snowman. It took a little patient instruction on how to roll the snowball, don't include the dried up grass, try and get it rounded and before you know it - voila! A snowman in the yard!! It was fun - this is the good stuff, the good memories of childhood.....remember?? Turns out the snowman was not enough I had to heat the soup up for lunch 3 times before the 'structure' was completed enough for my budding architect to come in and eat. He was beet red from head to toe and grinning like a mule eating briers - a good day here in the snowy south!!