Snow day

I headed out from Des Moines today at mid morning. I had heard snow was heading this way. For once it seems the forecasters were right. I hit snow right outside the Big City and it got heavier all the way to Stuart on I-80. I even saw an accident that had happened shortly before my turnoff. I’m happy to report that once I headed south, it wasn’t bad driving to Creston.

There were no worries when it snowed when I was a kid in Atlantic, Iowa. I didn’t have to drive anywhere or worry about events being cancelled. We would pile on our snow clothes – rubbery boots that went on over our shoes, woolen mittens, scarves and hats.

Our family (4 girls spread out over 13 years) had wooden sleds of various sizes with metal runners. We had metal saucers and an aluminum toboggan that went like hell, but could bruise your tailbone. We had a pretty good hill right behind our house, but sometimes we went to the Country Club or to the school hill.

Another snowy activity was building forts and snowmen. I’m sure Mom got tired of me grabbing carrots for noses and charcoal for eyes. We also liked to play “fox and geese”. It was tag on a snow track. The fox couldn’t go off the path we made in the snow. All the neighborhood kids played together.

Once we were ready to go in to escape the cold (or if we got mad at each other), Mom’s rule was we had to use the back door. It opened into the laundry room. We had to hang our soggy mittens and hats over the utility sink and she would toss them into the dryer when she got time. Then we would troop upstairs for hot chocolate with marshmallows. Back before microwaves, she had to heat the milk up on the stove and add Nestle’s Quick. Yum. God bless Pat Bullock for putting up with our snow day activities!

Our kids had fun of their own on snow days. Our first home in Creston was right next to bus barn hill. We had some decent sleds (plastic not metal), and had some fun times sledding with Amy and Jud. Our westie Moki liked to go too and would run along-side the sleds as they plummeted down the hill. After he popped a couple inner tube type sleds with his teeth, he was banned from sledding.

As I write this, Sammy the neighbor kid is outside with a friend shooting hoops in the heavy snow. They’re tackling each other and having a great time. So the next time it snows on my commuter parade, I vow to remember the good snowy times!