Snow Sketches

Once again New England was the recipient of a semi-large snow storm (large enough to cancel church here in RI!). There is often a tendency to groan and grumble about more snow, especially when it's getting in to March, and spring cravings are growing more powerful and insistent. And yet, this snow storm was of the particularly pretty variety. The snow is sticky, and coats all the trees with pristine whiteness. And now that the sun is shining, the white against the blue, as well as the sunshine on the snow, are particularly lovely.

And, after all, what would New England be without snow storms that go deep into spring? Snow has such a bonding quality for the residence of this locale. It gives an endless discussion topic, the common sight of people out scraping/brushing off their cars, the grocery store lines of pre-storm worriers (of which, I recently found out, my sister is a participant), the snow men lining the road (there were four or five just from Rt 6 to home yesterday, including my favorite one built by Jim and Laurie!), and the possibility of snow days.

Snow days are one of the quintessential aspects of New England's identity, right up there with stone walls and the Red Sox. What New England child has not felt that desperate hope, and that exultant joy of hope rewarded? Everyone seems to have that story of getting all the way to the bus stop and then discovering their reprieve with as much celebration as any convict. And of course, what New England child has not felt that desolation of seeing the bus come through the snow - the indignation of knowing that the superintendent should have called off school, because look how bad the roads are and into what jeopardy the school children are being thrust.

And of course, there is my old pronouncement that, when the cold weather isn't making me just plain mad at its fierceness, it is making me tough. I identify with my pilgrim predecessors, who survived in the wilderness long ago, and raised up a stock of New Englanders almost as tough as they (almost, you see, because now we have things like central heating, insulation, and snow plows). There is still that steely quality to a New Englander that allows him to emerge triumphant from the winter months.

Okay, so now that we've had this beautiful storm, and I've gone to great lengths to talk it up, I'm ready for the triumphant emerging part. Bring on the Spring!