a snowday with kids

Some of you may not live in the South.  We have a bit of a reputation when it comes to the way we deal with winter weather and with our recent winter event I thought it might be a good time to tell you how it really is down here.

Usually when there's any mention of the word "snow" by a meteorologist, it generates a buzz among snowbirds.  This is what I call the people who still believe the forecasters when they call for snow.  These folks anticipate the snow.  They look forward to it.  They talk about it in every other sentence for a good week before it's supposed to happen.  I've learned to ignore these people.  Last week when the little snowflake icon showed up on the daily forecast several days out, I mentioned it to G, laughed and then moved on.  The next day the snowflake disappeared.  It appeared and disappeared several more times until it started to be talked about as a very real threat.  Two days out the forecast seemed a little more certain.  One day out they told us to expect accumulating snow.  They get very specific with these things now and they're wrong 99% of the time.  

Back in my day, calling off school was silly.  If there was an ice storm you might get a two hour delay.  If there was snow falling they'd tell us to come to school and if the roads got terrible before noon, they'd send us home on the bus.  I remember riding the bus home from school in a full-on snow storm.  Now that my kids are in school, if someone smells snow a day in advance they cancel school.  Many times since Blue and Violet have been in school they've called off school because of a sketchy forecast and the actual weather turned out to be sunny and nice.  True story.  

Last Tuesday afternoon the schools began to call off students for Wednesday.  I would imagine that at that time the local grocery stores sold out of milk and bread.  I'm not sure if y'all know about this phenomenon wherever you live, but down here when they tell us it's going to snow, we rush out and buy milk and bread.  In reality, we buy a lot more than that, but the midweek rush on the grocery store really puts a dent on the milk and bread supply.  There's honestly a good explanation for this.  Here in the upstate of South Carolina, we have a mostly normal climate.  Hot, humid summers, long springs and really great autumns, but what most people may not realize is that we have pretty decent winters too.  It get's cold here and once or twice each year we'll get a noticeable winter weather event.  Historically we've been unprepared for these in terms of road care and while we're stuck at home it really sucks to also lose power.  The snow we get is generally heavy, wet snow and when we get ice, it's usually a really heavy icing and both of these events bring down trees and power lines.  These storms often catch us by surprise in terms of their severity.  We may be told to expect a "dusting" of snow and get 10 inches.  That happened on a spring break back when I was in college.  After you go without power in a snow storm for half a week, you learn to hit the grocery store and stock up.  You're going to use the milk and bread anyway so it's not like it's wasted.  

We don't pay a lot of attention to the news in our house so it wasn't until the school cancelation that we started thinking about weather.  We had groceries and coffee, so we were good.  No milk and bread run for us.

The excitement in the house was something you could feel.  The kids were so hopeful.  A few weeks ago they got a snow day from school but only saw flurries.  Their school is a good bit north of us and we were just below the area of accumulation.  They had to listen to their friends talk about how much snow they received while they quietly brooded and blamed me for where we live.  The last forecast we heard this week indicated that the heaviest accumulation would be right over our house and that we would get more than their friends this time.  Of course that turned out to be incorrect, but it fueled their excitement.  I received word that my school was operating on a two hour delay which meant my only class was canceled.  Regardless of the actual precipitation, we were going to get a snow day.  Violet kissed me goodnight and voluntarily went to bed 15 minutes before bedtime.  She heard the weather dude say the snow would start at 5am so her plan was to get up super early to watch.  

Everyone was up when I woke up.  I heard the door open and close a couple of times and saw the glow coming in the blinds so I figured it was snowing.  The phone weather confirmed when I checked the temperature so I got up and put on the warm running clothes.  

 When Violet got up at 5:15, she looked out her window and it was not snowing.  She waited until she heard G get up after 6:00 and it still was not snowing.  It started just a few minutes before I got up which mixed more hope in with the excitement.

 The dogs were less excited.  They ran a little but as soon as business was taken care of, they hoofed it back inside to warm their paws.  

 Blue wasted no time.  He had his snowman built before the waffles were even started.  It was a little below freezing and that's him in a steady snow with no hat, only a sweatshirt, running shoes and thin gloves.  He had also laid completely down in the snow several times by this point and was pretty wet.

 He and Violet worked together on their snowperson and made the spitting image of some annoying character on Netflix called Miranda Sings.

 We are typically unprepared with our roads and also with our winter clothing.  While normal winter days here may start out in the 20s (F) the afternoon temperatures will climb to the 50s or 60s.  A light coat or jacket is usually good enough.  Gloves can be tough to find when it snows.  We may have to dig through closets and when we do find gloves they're not even close to being water resistant.  And with the fluctuation in temperatures, snow accumulations can be short lived.  We've learned that you don't wait until the snow stops falling if you want to play in it.  As soon as the waffles were gone, Blue, Violet and I headed outside.  G was home with us, which really never happens on a snow day.  Nurses have to go to work regardless.  But this time G had been growing some sort of sickness for a few days and she finally felt terrible enough Wednesday that she couldn't work.  So while she was home, she probably wished she wasn't.  She couldn't go out and enjoy it with us and she couldn't rest or sleep because we were making noise and running in and out all day.  

 I think we went out around 8am.  The kids were in and out looking for dry gloves and socks and thawing out their fingers.  I worked on the snow sculpture and stayed outside.  I rolled snowballs as large as I could and tried to stack them into a mass that I could carve.  

 The stack of snow started to remind me of the Woman of Villendorf, one of the oldest known sculptures.  It's a tiny little carving of a curvy lady or goddess.  I turned my snow lady into a modern icy version with a comical approach.  Blue wasn't a fan and he spent a lot of time trying to convince me to put a "bathing suit" on her.  

 Because we try to be prepared for anything around here, we actually had plastic sleds and didn't have to resort to using cardboard boxes.  Our small hills forced us to run full speed and then try to jump on the sleds without toppling over.  I won the distance contest, but mostly just because I was the heaviest.  Moments later Blue jumped on his sled and it shattered into pieces.  

 We made videos for Blue to use, made snow angels and against my better judgement the kids ate a lot of snow.  The Kool Aid juice they used for the red lips on their snowperson made them think of snowcones so they started scooping up snow and pouring juice or drinks over it.  Violet's lips are intensely red because of that.

 We stayed out until about 1:30pm before realizing that we needed to dry our clothes and thaw our bodies.  We let G rest for an hour or so before we headed back out to go exploring. 

 When you only see snow once or twice each year, it never looses it's magical appeal.  The quiet that falls over the snow always catches me off guard.  The white coating transforms every mundane object into something new.  We walked through the woods marveling at it all.

 Even the front yard took on a new appeal.  The final sled battle took place in our cold, wet clothes just before dark.  G had some warm chili and cornbread ready when we went inside.

 The kids' school announced they'd be closed Thursday as well.  My morning studio class was cancelled but I still had to go for the afternoon class.  That was good enough for me because I got to sleep until sunrise and run in the daylight.  The kids and the dogs played in the snow before I left for school and the kids apparently played outside all day while I was gone.  When I got back home both sleds were in pieces.  There were random pairs of wet gloves scattered across the yard.  The roads were clear around us but the schools quickly began canceling for Friday.  Every announcement built confidence with Blue and Violet that they'd get another day off.  Then came the devastating news:  the two hour delay.  They would get to sleep in a little, but they'd have to go to school.  

And just like that, the snow vacation was over.  We're still watching the snow creatures melt.  The last patch of shaded snow in the back yard melted today.  Looking back, the weather folks did ok.  They were at least close with their predictions.  The local power company has taken precautionary measures against trees falling on lines for the last several years, with a serious tree trimming operation each summer along the power lines.  Even the road crews were on the ball, pre-treating the roads with brine for days in advance of the storm.  That's not to say some people didn't lose power or that there weren't goofballs out driving like idiots on icy roads, but at least we're not the dumb hillbillies the rest of the country makes us out to be in the snow.  

If you're wondering what we do with all that milk and bread, I used my milk to make cappuccinos and my bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  

It's not likely we'll get another snow this year but that won't stop the kids from hoping.  As for me, I'm over winter.  I'm ready for the beach.

snow and salt

It's been a warm winter so far.  After a really warm winter break, we finally had a little cold snap that lasted long enough for some weather to move in.  We live on what was the bottom edge of the wintry part of the storm so we didn't get a ton of snow.  Most of ours was sleet.  Blue and Violet go to school north of home and the schools freaked out early enough to cancel school.

 So after they rode with me to school and played video games for a couple of hours, we drove home just before the stuff moved in.

 Overnight we got enough big flakes to cover the ground in time for my morning run.

 TImber got his first taste of snow.  He didn't appear to be a big fan.

 Blue, however, was a huge fan.  He and Violet were out sledding while I was running.  They both came in soaking wet, covered in mud and with giant smiles on their faces.  Blue and I did a little woods walking before he went in to thaw out.

 My steel underwear got a little frosty.

 The kids made a tiny iceman before it all melted.

 That afternoon Violet and Timber insisted on doing PiYo with me.

 Seven days later, we were done with winter.  The temperatures rose into the 60s and we loaded the kids up for a day trip to Charleston.

G and I had been craving Nick's BBQ so we drove 250 miles to eat lunch.  No one was unhappy about that.

 We were also craving some salty air to go with our BBQ.  After we ate and walked through the city market, we drove out to Sullivan's Island.  The kids jumped out of their shoes and got sand all over them.  Violet dipped her toes in the water.  

 Meanwhile, the ocean, the sky and the shore just sat there being beautiful.

 Smiles were everywhere.

 The sun was setting as we headed home and the light made everything look super cool.

The kids barely stayed away for the promise of ice cream on the way home.  We were stuffed and tired when we rolled in the driveway, but we were all ready to do it again.

another snow

After days of hearing that there was another chance of snow coming our way, I started to pay attention to the forecast.  This one was billed as a huge storm.  "One for the record books" they kept saying.  The threat was so bad that on Monday night they called off school for Blue on Tuesday.  While he rejoiced, G was less happy about the approaching storm.  She has to be at work regardless of weather, so the days of mess that were predicted meant she was going to be dropping the kids off and camping out in her office for the week.  

 Tuesday morning they drove that way and I drove this way.  It snowed steadily on my drive and when I arrived at school this is what I saw.

 And within minutes of being on campus, I got the official email stating that the school would close at 11:30 and remain closed for the next few days.  That meant that we had about half of our Advanced Sculpture class to work before leaving.  After allowing for getting everything out, putting everything up and cleaning up the studio, we would have accomplished very little.  So instead of working on our current projects, we all went out on the front lawn for a little snow sculpting.  The students came up with the idea for what to make and they were pretty excited to get to use the chainsaw.

 They created a bowing alley with a ball and 6 bowling pins.  That's the class in the photo with a couple of extra helpers included (Sean, Laura, Cessquatch, Katertot, Caitlin, Tyler, Oscar & Andrew).  And of course, they hit me with snowballs the whole time.

 When we were done, I started for home but stopped when I saw Professor Liu sitting out in the snow painting.  He's a visiting scholar from China and he's having an exhibit of his stunning work in our gallery in a couple of months.  

 The snow was still coming down pretty good, but was not sticking to the roads.  

 When I got home I got my run in before the snow got any deeper.  The weather people told us that this was just the first round of light precipitation before the main storm arrived.  I prepared myself for complete and utter boredom knowing that the wife and kids would not be home until the storm was gone and the roads were clear.

 The first round of snow was the good kind...it was wet enough to stick together.  I had plenty of drawing, sculpting and school work to do, but I couldn't resist the chance to get out in the snow and play a little.  That's a 5 foot tall chihuahua head in the front yard.

Wednesday brought more snow through most of the morning.  I did draw a little, but I also got out and walked, took photos and rode the 4 wheeler in the snow.

 The morning snow was followed by some sleet and freezing rain.  The roads were white and despite the state of emergency, it seemed everyone in town was determined to get out and drive.  A guy across the road was four wheeling in his pasture but everyone else was driving on the icy road.  I stuck to the 4 wheeler.  By this point I was so bored I was carrying on conversations with the dogs.  They mostly seemed confused.

 The wind kept blowing the snow off the roof of the house.  When I tried to go out this morning I met some resistance from the 20 inch snow drift on the back deck.  

 After a nice hot breakfast and coffee I discovered that the 2 inches of snow on top of the layer of ice was perfect for sculpting.  I set out to make a more traditional snowman for the kids to enjoy when they got home.  I was bored by the time I got to the head, so I got a little weird there.

 By the time I finished that one, I was warm so I shed my jacket and hat and started on another snow project.  My back was hurting from rolling up snowballs but I couldn't miss the chance to make snow sculptures.  It's not every day we get to do this hear in the south.  I ended up making a giant molar to complete the snow sculpture park in the front yard.

 Not everyone was having fun.  G was trying unsuccessfully to sleep in her office, Zeke had cabin fever and the chihuahua couldn't figure out where the grass went or why her feet were so cold.  

 After the sun came out and cleared the roads, the family came home to play with me.  Violet and I did some 4 wheeler doughnuts and I pulled them on the sled through the melting snow.

 Blue started a snowman of his own but then realized how fun it would be to balance on it and then jump off.

I even took a shot at being dragged behind the 4 wheeler.  It was a slow start and just as was thinking I was too heavy, G took off and slung me around the field as I held on for dear life.  

Next week the temperatures are predicted to be in the 70s and I'm thrilled.  I've enjoyed the very cold winter and the snow and now I'm ready for a warm beach and a cool breeze.

snow

So, it snowed here.

It snowed 1-2 inches in our area and you know what?  It was a big deal.  The northern transplants love to make the jokes about how an inch of snow shuts down a southern city.  They love to trash talk our snow driving and our Department of Transportation's inability to keep the roads dry and ice free.  They even laugh at us for calling such an event a "storm".

Here's the thing:  It snows here maybe once a year.  I'm talking about a notable snow event being more than just a "dusting" of snowflakes.  With such infrequency, of course we do not know how to drive in the snow, of course our DOT doesn't spend much on de-icing and of course we're going to get excited about such a rare and beautiful event.

Yes, we are aware that it took 10 feet of snow to cancel school wherever you emigrated from, but think about why you relocated here.  Because the weather is better!  We actually have 4 seasons here in the south, even if summer lasts for about 6 months.  And when we get our annual or biannual snow event, it gets us a holiday from work or school and lets us act like children for a whole day.  Perhaps best of all, the temperatures often return to 60 degrees 24-48 hours after the snowpocalypse and life gets back to normal.  These miniature winter vacations are reason enough for us to go a little crazy and binge on milk and bread.  (And just as a side note, not a single one of your southern friends and neighbors enjoy hearing about how silly we are in the snow or how much bigger the snow was "up there".  We are only smiling and nodding because we are kind and hospitable here.  We just want you to be quiet and hold on to the rope while we pull your sled with our four wheel drive pickup truck.)

 Last Tuesday, the tiniest little specks of flurries started falling when my 1:15 pm class was getting ready to start.  I tried to distract my students from the flakes and the possibility of what was to come but soon the school sent everyone text messages about closing school at 3:00 pm.  Snow was not accumulating at all at this point and while the teacher in me was pushing my students to work, the Southerner in me was thrilled to be heading home early to enjoy the chance of weather.  

After a stop at Ingles (for hamburger meat, not milk or bread) everything started to change.  As I filled up with gas in the bitter cold I noticed the crazy guy in the Statue of Liberty costume who normally violently tries to draw attention to the local tax place across the street.  Instead of waving and jumping he looked around at the falling snow, tucked his sign under his arm and headed for the warmth of the storefront lobby.  That's pretty much when I knew that this storm was happening.

Once I was home the Plantation looked like the photo above.  I put on my warmest running clothes and enjoyed a scenic run in the snow.  The couple next door arrived at their driveway separately while this old idiot was running in the falling snow and I'm pretty sure they both laughed at me as they drove by.

 The next morning the snow had stopped but the bitter cold remained.  Schools were canceled and schedules cleared.  After my coffee the kids were ready to get outside.  I reached deep down in my heritage and put together an idea they would love.  G bundled them up tight and I hitched them to the four wheeler for some level ground sledding.

 We were careful and safe and all that.  I stayed away from trees and things and made sure they had plenty of room to skid through the turns.  We churned up all the snow in the back yard and the kids stored some of it inside their boots and pants.  It was so cold, there wasn't much melting so their clothes stayed dry.  

 As soon as the fun started, G had to leave.  It seems that nurses have to report to work regardless of weather.  I guess we need the nurses there because crazy people pull others around in the snow on four wheelers, huh?

 A couple of inches of snow makes everything more beautiful.  The kids were blown away with the redneck sledding and when they started to get cold we took a ride on the four wheeler where they were ecstatic about how pretty everything was.  

 They were right, though.  Everything looked different and more beautiful than it did the day before.  The absolute joy of a southern snow.

 Even my cold and forbidding "no trespassing" sign looked nicer in the snow.

 Soon we had to go inside to thaw out.  Clothes were changed, hot chocolate was served and "Coraline" was requested on the TV.  Blue and Violet were tired and they stayed almost completely still for the duration of the movie.

While they were entertained, I worked to finish a silly drawing of Honey Boo Boo.  

Later I got everyone back outside for a snow hike.  You have to enjoy the snow here while you can.  You never know when you'll see it again.


As soon as it starts to melt every single one of us starts checking that extended forecast to see if John is gonna give us another chance at a winter vacation.  G says next weekend is looking promising.