Positive Light

This has been a complete bummer of a winter regarding one of our favorite things: snow. I think we've had one snowfall, and that was early in the season. Otherwise, it's been zilch. I've never seen anything like it, not that I'm a seasoned New Englander, but I'm working my way up to it. Needless to say this has compromised our favorite activity, skiing/snowboarding (is that two activities?). I shouldn't complain because we have managed to hit the slopes, and it hasn't been that awful because there's enough snow to ski, but I would say at least half the runs are still closed.

There are many ironies to this situation. First off, in the drought plagued west where they get little in the way of precipitation they are getting slammed with storm after storm. Why can't any of those clouds come to us? Secondly, there was one major storm that came our way and it managed to dump 2 feet of snow on Boston, New York, and DC, but we didn't even get a minor flurry. Thirdly, and this is the most painful, this was the year that were really ready for winter. Not only do we get free skiing at the local hill, but the kids had all new snow equipment, A with her new snowboard and N with his new skis (he got a new board but I got is used, he's more of a skier). I think A used her board twice before coming down with the flu, and N has used his new skis once before the same fate befell him.

With all that's going on, is it even possible to paint this in a positive light? Actually, being the eternal optimist that I am (yeah right), it is. Even though this winter has been a disappointment, to say the least, the lack of snow has removed one significant burden from our lives, and that's shoveling snow. Since we heat with wood, every time we get a lot of snow, I have to spend (though now the kids help) at least an hour shoveling out the cars and making a path to the woodpile clear enough to push a wheelbarrow through, which not an easy thing when you're sick and injured. We've also saved money on plowing the driveway, and driving is not as much of a scary proposition with the roads being dry and clear. This makes my job as poster boy much simpler. Finally, since we're a hockey family, a lot of our time is spent inside the ice rink, where weather conditions are not as much of a factor.

Now don't get me wrong, I really hope we get a big snowstorm (or 2 or 3) but for now, there's so much going on and we're all in some state of illness or chronic pain, I won't complain too loudly. Once we're all back on our feet again, however, I say bring it on... please.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Chris Bainbridge for the pic.