Snow #WingWritingChallenge Day 18

At the risk of being annoying - okay, too late for that - I have to be honest when it comes to the cold, white stuff. I really love snow.

Both Ang Lawrence and Randy Brown have made it quite clear that they are not fans. I know a lot of people who aren't. It causes a lot of problems - even native Coloradoans seem to forget how to drive in it every winter - and, like I mentioned before, it's cold. Still, I think snow is one of the best things about my home state. The brilliant blue sky the day after a blizzard ... well, it doesn't get much more beautiful than that. 

I even have a 'snowflake' board on Pinterest. Yeah, okay, now I've become really annoying, haven't I?

I'm not a skiier, which is weird considering the fact that I grew up here in Colorado. Skiing is big here. A whole lot of people (who can't drive in the snow, either) come and visit the state every year. I'm usually not stuck in all the ski traffic clogging up I-70. If I am, I got there purely by mistake. I've taken leave of my senses and decided to travel on a weekend when I clearly should be safe and sound in my home away from the endless line of cars and SUV's with ski racks atop them climbing from Denver all the way to the high country at a mind-numbing crawl. My parents loved skiing. Actually, most of my family does. I tried it several times as a child and pre-teen. My favorite part was hanging out in the lounge with a cup (or four) of hot cocoa. No. Skiing is not for me. Sledding and tubing? Now that I like.

I can't deny it ... snow can be a big, huge mess.

Below is a picture of me back in December of 2007. Now that is a lot of snow. That's Mimi's house, and I was checking in on her after a big storm. The present I'm carrying is a belated birthday gift for my son. That has nothing to do with this post, but I felt the need to explain. I probably don't need to fill you in on why I'm carrying a shovel. I'm guessing that's self explanatory.

In Siblings, a previous post, I wrote about the infamous Christmas Blizzard of 1982. It started snowing on Christmas Eve, and we were buried under three feet of snow before it was all said and done. I was eleven. I remember my dad coming to pick me up during the week after the snow storm to celebrate a late Christmas. He didn't dare stop the van in fear that it would get stuck, so my step-mom opened the back doors and helped in while the van was still moving. 

Yes, snow is messy - but it can be a lot of fun.

The house I live in now in southern Colorado Springs

I've been in a few accidents due to weather - none of them near as bad as what Ang Lawrence experienced. I might not like the snow as much as I do if I had been. I've never been injured due to snow. I've been stuck. I've been cold. I've been without electricity. I've definitely had to cancel plans ... but I still love it. It can be so beautiful.

Outside our house in Germany

I also get a free pass from shoveling now due to my injured wrist. I don't feel too guilty about this. I figure I've done a hell of a lot of shoveling in my lifetime. Fortunately for me, my kids love snow as much as I do. And I can't hear them complaining about digging us out while I'm watching from inside the house.