The Cozy Chicks | Cozy Up To Some Killer Books

Snow & Ice & Other Stuff

Okay, I know it’s still February, so it’s still officially winter, but I’m already tired of snow and ice. Actually I really like snow. I love to watch it fall–whether I’m inside all snug and warm or whether I’m outside walking around in it. Something about the softness of those big fat flakes falling down from that grey-white snow sky. Also, snow muffles sound, and I love that. Even traffic seems muted.

Unfortunately, snow usually has a constant companion—at least out here in the Rocky Mountain West, it does. Ice. Ice I don’t like. Not at all. Not one little bit. Cars spin on ice and crash into things—-other cars, people, trees. Nasty. And–people fall down on ice and break bones. Also, not nice. My elderly mother slipped on an icy-covered mat going into the post office in December 2006, right as our Eight Solid Weeks of Snow & Ice began, spilling over into February 2007. Most of us here in Colorado felt like we’d gone into another Ice Age. We all had ice berms in the middle or along sides of our residentail streets which didn’t melt till April last winter. Brrrrr!

This year, however, has been a normal Colorado Winter. Snow, ice, cold, more snow, more ice, colder…….you get my drift. Oooooo. Don’t even mention drifts. Brrrrrr, again Yes, snow is pretty, but the parking lots are ice-covered and that gets really old after several weeks. I’m longing for April’s warmer temps to start the Spring Thaw. Why not March? Because in Colorado, March is our snowiest month. Blizzards are common. Cherry blossoms are coming into bloom in my childhood home in Northern Virginia across the Potomac from the Nation’s Capital. But, we’re still mired in winter here. Ohhhh, we’re teased with spring-like days, just like we are in February—-temps in 50’s. And, of course, we do have all that glorious sunshine all the time, so I really shouldn’t complain. But wintry weather makes me contrary. Okay, more contrary than usual.

I want Spring early, but that little fuzzy fat rat of a groundhog predicted another six weeks of winter which takes us to mid-March—-as usual. Sigh.

Given that anti-winter tirade, it may sound curious that I escaped with a friend last week for three days into Colorado’s High Country—into the heart of the snowy mountains, where snowdrifts pile high alongside the roads. Why?

Well—-it’s heart-stoppingly beautiful up there. It truly is. And —-as you’ve all heard me gush about the mountains many times—I simply HAVE to escape into the mountains regularly. It’s nourishing, nurturing, restorative—and all those other things that make us feel good. Simply going up a gondola to the top of a ski resort peak of 12,000 ft is a visual treat. Snowcapped peaks all around you—surrounding you 360 degrees.

Now, I’m back in Fort Collins (5000) and being teased today with 50 degrees. And that’s lovely;. . .until the Winter Wind picks up and starts blowing over the mountains, and the temperature sinks like a stone. Did I mention the Winter Wind? Oh, I guess I didn’t. I’ll leave that for another post.

So—–tell me how the weather is where you folks are. Is it sunny? Warm? Are you sunbathing on the beach in Florida? Or dodgin tornadoes (today’s news)? What’s happening/

13 Responses to “Snow & Ice & Other Stuff”

I try to be good and always think happy but boy oh boy it’s been a long winter…even for us here in the Northeast. We had snow much earlier than usual in December and the ground is still covered. This month however the tide has turned, shall we say, and the rains have come. Rain…in February…here? Yah, like almost 9 inches so far. A happy person would say at least it’s not snow….
I think the flooding will be really awful in many places come springtime….dealing with Mother Nature can be exhausting if you think about her too much….

by Betty on February 19th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Wow, Betty—-9 inches of rain? That’s a heckuva lot. I think you’re right to worry about the spring flooding. It’s frustrating, isn’t it, that some sections of the country suffer with a drought while others are flooding. Hang in there.

by Maggie on February 19th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Maggie, we have a ski condo in Keystone (near Dillon/Frisco) at the base of Mountain Haus. When we were up there a few weeks ago, they had close to 37 feet of ski. Of course, this is up in the mountains on the ski runs.

Here at home in IL, we have about three feet of snow still on the ground, and it has been one long winter. We have had so much snow since November. I do agree that I love fresh snow that is falling and I am indoors watching while sitting next to a nice fire, or walking thru the woods. What I don’t like about snow is that now, in the Chicago area, it is brown/black/gray and dirty looking from all the splash and cars and stuff. It looks yucky, for lack of a better word.

Can’t wait to get back to CO in April. Hopefully there will still be good skiing then.

by Cathy on February 19th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
It’s cold. Then warm. Monday we had a 10 minute white out snow storm. Then sun. Now it’s cold again. There was an old joke about home that said if you don’t like the weather in Idaho, wait 10 minutes. But I think it was written in St. Louis. At least in the winter.

Sunday we were driving home from Springfield and the radio started blaring the emergency signal. But they must have changed their minds as nothing came over. I’m glad we haven’t had the tornados they have had south of us in Tennessee and around.

Here in Southern Illinois there’s no snow on the ground at all and Friday I could have sworn I smelt the dirt from the fields bringing in the spring.

I like warm.

by Lynn on February 19th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
New England is typical New England. Here in SE Mass. it’s been a balmy 40-ish. We creeped up in the 50’s yesterday but the pelting rain and 30mph winds made us all stay inside.

Someone said something about snow this weekend but it being February vacation and all, I haven’t bothered with the news. Kids.Too.Demanding. LOL

I’m looking forward to spring. Some nice 60-ish weather would be a plus. Then again, we did have a blizzard on April 1, 2007. We were stuck. We got slammed. My daughter was born on December 29 of that same year. wink wink

by debbie on February 19th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Here in Maryland, we had wonderful 70 degree weather on Monday Feb. 18, and then freezing 35 degrees Tuesday with whipping winds. Being part lizard (according to the kids) I prefer temps somewhere around 90 degrees year round. haha Every year my friends all receive daily emails during the winter months reminding them of the current temperatures in such dreary places like Tahiti , Miami, and anywhere warmer than here. LOL

by Rosalind on February 20th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Ohhhh, Cathy, I am so jealous. The Keystone area is one of my favorite places. In fact, my friend and I were staying very close to the Mountain House area. And that gondola ride is the one at River Run (which you probably know quite well). Right up to the top of Dercum Mountain where we got to see 360 and watch the coming snowstorm cover first one peak then another then another until it was snowing. Then, we got on the other gondola to go up and over to North Peak and the better restaurants and…ta, dah! Sunshine! Glorious sunshine again and no sign of snow. Only in the Colorado High Country. I LOVE it.

by Maggie on February 20th, 2008 at 2:03 am
I’m with you, Lynn. I like warm. But that old saying goes for Colorado, too. Except here, they say: if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute. Things happen faster up higher, I guess.

by Maggie on February 20th, 2008 at 2:04 am
LOL, Debbie, at your “Blizzard Baby.” Yeah, balmy is is good. Very good. We can all go for balmy, even though these wintry scenes are beautiful. Maybe we’ll regret saying that in July when it’s super hot.

by Maggie on February 20th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Too funny, Rosalind. I grew up “back there” in Northern Virginia–Arlington–to be specific. A stone’s throw across the Potomac from WashDC. Winters were relatively mild—30 degrees. And yeah—-compared to some of those brutal midwestern winters my family had to deal with in Indiana (Purdue Univ),. We thought we’d freeze to death in Indiana. I’ve never been so cold in my life. 60 degrees below zero wind chill. Those bitter winds blow across the Great Lakes and right across those Indiana Flatlands. Brrrrr! Freezes the marrow in your bones. No matter how many layers I wore, I was still freezing. Brutal. Colorado–with all its sunshine and low humidity—really seemed balmy in comparison.

by Maggie on February 20th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Maggie,
60 degrees below zero wind chill…..Good Lord. I can’t even imagine how cold that must feel. I think the coldest I have ever been in has been somewhere in the 20s. Probably the high 20s, but even that is pushing it. No wonder you thought you’d freeze to death in Indiana!

by Linda on February 20th, 2008 at 10:22 am
You want to know something funny, Linda? Because of the low humidity out here in Colorado, a 25 degree sunny winter day feels warmer than a 45 degree sunny day Back East. Go figure.

by Maggie on February 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pm
We’re supposed to have an icy mix starting at dawn tomorrow. Maggie, you know how crazed Virginians get when they hear the words “Snow” or “ice”. Millions of dollars are spent in the grocery stores and there will be more car accidents today, on a sunny day, than tomorrow in the ice!

by JB on February 21st, 2008 at 10:25 pm

Snow & Ice & Other Stuff

13 Responses to “Snow & Ice & Other Stuff”

Leave a Reply