Thanks to Thursday night’s dusting (actually maybe more as I don’t know if you have to shovel when it’s just a dusting and I had to shovel in my neighbourhood) of snow it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around these parts.
I don’t know why but it never quite feels like Christmas without the white stuff. And it doesn’t even feel that it’s close by until the white stuff’s around, which would explain why I have to go crazy this weekend shopping (and my procrastination problem, of course).
Plus it doesn’t count that the local ski hills have plenty of snow and are enjoying great early-season conditions, which is of course good but doesn’t necessarily get you in the Christmas spirit if it’s not in your own back yard as well.
And I don’t even mind shovelling the stuff as it’s often the only exercise I get in the winter time, OK I walk a fair bit and we’re checking into snow shoeing but as far as upper body strength forget about it (and, yeah, maybe I do need that gym membership for Christmas after all, and I’m kidding myself if I think it’s just a winter problem but anyway….).
However, there’s something about the first substantial (or dusting, come on make up your mind) snowfall of the season that taps into the kid in all of us.
I know it can be a challenge for us adults to drive in but just slow down a little (which can in itself be a good thing too) and even the most curmudgeonly of us has to admit the white stuff brightens up a grey world considerably and, if we let it, puts a spring in our step and sparks memories of simpler, fun times as a kid when the first snowfall was truly magical.
I still remember my oldest son as a toddler when I told him it was snowing outside and he rushed to the picture window in the living room to witness it for himself.
I thought he would be excited but he seemed to take no delight in it as he quickly verified it for himself but then rushed away to what I assumed was what he was doing previously.
“Where are you going, bud?” I asked as he rushed off on what obviously was an important task, but more important than the first snow of the season?
He didn’t answer me as he rushed off to check something out in the kitchen and I was beginning to think maybe this weather phenomenon wasn’t as big a deal as I thought anymore.
However, he quickly came back and informed me that my assumption about his lack of excitement was dead wrong.
“It’s snowing in the back yard too,” he said excitedly.
“Wow, that’s cool son,” I smiled, and wondered how isolated, isolated flurries can actually be?
Anyway, if the weatherman is on the money, ahem, this white stuff should stick around, and maybe even increase, virtually ensuring a white Christmas in the North Okanagan.
And although I’m no meteorologist, I’ll go out on a limb and say that goes for your front yard and back yard, too, so what else do you need to have a wonderful holiday season?
Seeing how we are taking a break from publishing next Sunday due to the holiday season, I will also take this time and space to wish everyone a happy new year and let’s try to carry the goodwill and spirit of the season as far as we can into 2016.
Happy New Year everyone.
Oh yeah, and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow (within reason, of course).
