Redartz: As of this writing, much of the United States is experiencing a snowstorm. Well, that is, except where I live. All around us it's snowing, we're getting freezing rain and sleet, doggone it. Sorry to gripe, but I love snow, and get frustrated at missing all the good storms. Anyway, that's what gives us our topic; those frosty flakes (Not Frosted Flakes, sorry Tony the Tiger) that provided so much fun to so many of us. Of course many of us have few or even no memories of snow, largely dependent upon where we grew up. But this go-round, let's talk about what we have experienced, or heard, or imagined.
My personal snow stories arise from a youth in central Indiana. We could expect at least a couple pretty good snowstorms each winter, and were seldom disappointed. The announcement on tv of a"Winter Storm Warning" was met with concern by parents, but with glee by us kids. It meant the possibility of a "snow day" escape from school. But even if that didn't come to pass, the snow itself provided cause for celebration. Our neighborhood would, with a couple inches on the ground, erupt in snowball fights that left us soggy, half frozen but laughing like idiots. I was always perfectionistic; making snowballs as round as I could. And, I'd always try to wear a coat with a hood; otherwise some wise guy would surely sneak up behind you and ram the dreaded "slush ball" down your neck. Ooog
Closely associated with snowball fights were snow forts. Usually built to provide some degree of protection from 'enemy projectiles', they required a bit of cooperation to build. Although if you were operating in an area which had been plowed, you had a head start- the piled-up snow from plowing made a great fort, with little adjustment needed. And we would, if the pile was big enough, dig tunnels into it. Never caved in on us; it's probably another example of 'things we did that our parents would faint over'.
Speaking of plowing- that brings to mind another benefit of snow. When we got older, it provided an opportunity for some money-making. We lived in a neighborhood that had a couple good hills, with the streets accordingly loopy. If you got a decent snowfall, those streets were traps for most cars that dared attempt them. I made many a decent tip during my teens, trudging to the bottom of our hill with snow shovel in hand, and giving a bit of a push to some stuck motorist. .
Ok, I'll leave some storytelling for you all. Besides, the snow outside my window has finally started to fall in earnest, we may get a few inches yet. Hope springs eternal...