Friday, January 26, 2007

It isn't true...that Buffalo New York's weather is awful. It is only partially true. I've heard people say that they were in Buffalo once. They got stuck in a snow storm. They'll never go there again. I have memories of driving on the skyway...an elevated road along the shore of Lake Erie. The brine from the water blows over the skyway. It coats the road and the streets below. It also coats the car's windows. Studded snow tires are recommended. I remember when I went downtown in the winter, that there were ropes attached to the sides of the office buildings, so pedestrians could hang on while walking...so they would not fall down. When in Buffalo in the winter, wear a hat, tuck a scarf into the collar of your coat . Wear shoes with insulated soles so the bitter cold of the sidewalk doesn't creep into your feet. Wear snow shoes over your indoor shoes...or boots. Wear warm gloves or mittens.
The trick surviving in a snowy world, is to dress for the weather. This is not the time to be fashionable. As a child, I wore snow pants. My legs were warm. The snow sticks to my boots and clothes. When I enter the house, the snow and the salt it contains, melts on the mat at the front door. Every house of my childhood friends, had a track of white salt over the rug in the hallway mixed with the dirt from the melted snow. Mothers were driven crazy trying to keep the rug clean.
It is better to be a child in a snow world than to be an adult. Adults worry about driving in the snow, about clearing the snow. It was fun to play in the snow. We built igloos and had snowball fights. Everyone had a sled. If there wasn't a hill for sliding, then you built one out of piled up snow. We made snow angels. We slid on our boots when We found a patch of ice. It was a good test of our sense of balance.
My neighbors were meticulous about clearing the snow from their driveway and the sidewalk in front of their house. When they were finished, they came again with a broom, sweeping a clear border between the snow and walking area. Walking home from school was more fun walking on the piled up snow than walking on the cleared sidewalk. All the snow removed from the sidewalk was piled high on a snowbank. We walked up and down the snowbanks between the street and the sidewalks. Such a simple activity kept school children amused. The homeowner was not amused. We dislodged some of the snow back onto the driveway and sidewalk. He came back out, muttering, and swept the sidewalk clean again.
It was safe to wander around the block alone when I was little. I loved the quiet of the snow. It gets dark early. The streetlights come on. The snow is so cold, it sparkles like diamonds. It makes a crunching sound as my feet break through the crust. I listen to the sound the bare branches of the trees make when they move in the wind.
Snow encourages solitude. This is the time to do a solitary project...to read or bake...to be alone and to write. If the solitude goes on too long, depression can set in. They call it SAD...seasonal affective disorder. My parents called it log cabin fever. When that happens, it is time to have people in for a hearty meal and a good gab fest. Turn on all the lights and turn the thermostat up. I'm traveling to Buffalo in February.

2 Comments:

Blogger Melanie O. said...

It's funny how some things are so timeless. Beth and I did the same things in the snow, growing up.

6:24 AM  
Blogger gardenbug said...

I'm glad you did. Playing in the snow is healthy. It is fun to play with friends, in the snow.

8:42 AM  

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