It certainly has been an unusual Iowa winter.  Temps soaring well into the 50s and 60s and hardly any snow.  I have to say I am disappointed.  I kind of anticipated a rip-roaring sort of winter and my, what a let-down.  

As I write, one more insignificant snow is under way.  Probably less than two inches.  And since they are forecasting 40s and 50s for the weekend, I don’t expect my little white miracle to last long.

As February is drawing quickly to a close, I will admit that I am beginning to long for spring.  We have had one fairly decent snow, pounded each other in a snowball fight, and constructed a regal blue Snow Queen.  It is somewhat hard to believe that only two years ago we were digging out from three major blizzards and a monster of an ice storm that left us without power for nearly four days. 

My sweet girls (including my then-only-months-old Lovey) were bundled head-to-toe in coats and snow pants.  Inside.  When all was said and done the temperature was down to just 41 degrees.  Inside.  The first night was the longest.  We nary slept a wink, flinching at every boom-pop-fizzle-flash of transformers blowing all over town and listening to the crick-a-crack of weighted ice-branches free-falling (and praying they were mostly landing away from the house).  

All five of us snuggled together in one of the girls’ bedrooms during those nights (the one furthest from the trees.)  Still bundled up and buried under every blanket, sleeping bag, and bed comforter we could gather, we fell asleep ridiculously early, just after dark.  We told stories by candlelight and fell asleep to the battery-powered radio.

Walking to the car meant performing a carefully choreographed routine over every ice-glossed surface and going as quickly and non-haphazardly as one could to avoid any rogue branches on their way down.


That winter, we shoveled.  And shoveled.  And shoveled.  And selfishly wished for a snow blower.   And then shoveled some more.

Now that was a winter I could be proud of.  

A few memorable moments from Winter 2009-2010:

Yikes.  Poor neighbor-truck.

It’s a good thing we had a shovel.

Ice, Ice, Baby.

Down the street.

The other side of the street.

At any rate, I am ready to move on.  March is fast approaching and I am ready to see green.  

Winter, I fully expect a stronger showing next year.

“Coffee: creative lighter fluid.”  ~Floyd Maxwell