It began last evening, a wet and sloppy snow. News stations had various reporters stationed around the city, giving reports about travel. The weatherman stood outside, while snow flaked straight down, giving us the forecast, either good news or grim, depending on today's plans. We woke to about seven inches on the ground which, for some people, isn't much snow, but it does cause inconveniences during the holiday season. As I watch the snow fly-sometimes hard, sometimes light-I reflect on my love/hate relationship with 'white gold.'
Moving to Colorado brought the promise of snow, a substance we really had never seen, at least not up close. It was so hot when we first arrived, I thought snow was never going to happen. We saw our first fall--Burbank didn't really have a fall. but there were some trees that had leaves that changed colors. And then came the morning when my mom woke me up, yelling, "It snowed! Get up! You have to see this!" I eventually realized that she too hated snow, and she was a native Coloradan, but for this one time, she tried hard to be excited for us.
My brother and I stumbled out of our warm beds and into some clothes (we didn't really have snow clothes or coats that were warm enough at the time) and our cowboy boots (totally inadequate footwear for snow, I found out), and ran outside. In that first moment, I had several realizations: it must be cold to snow, snow is wet, and cold and wet is a state I do not enjoy. We touched the snow, threw it around a bit, and then I was done! Finished! I went back inside where it was warm and dry. I think I was outside for a total of five minutes, but I knew from that experience I would never really love snow.
Don't get me wrong; snow is lovely. Peaceful. It can be fun. Sort of. But it's cold, wet, heavy. Shoveling is misery. It gets tracked all over the house, making a mess. Snow requires a number of clothes and appropriate footwear. When it melts, it makes a mess. Driving in it isn't bad until other drivers are out there. Then it can be scary and dangerous. So, really, I'm not a fan of snow.
On so many levels, I'm a Colorado gal--hiking, biking, going to the mountains, camping...all those things Coloradans like to do. But I become a California girl as soon as the snow piles up. I want to stay inside and avoid the snow as much as possible. I know shoveling is good exercise, but I avoid it until I absolutely have to do it. Snowy days make me miss my shorts and sandals. I like warm weather; I don't even mind when it's over 90. To listen to my husband and my son, both Colorado natives, when it's warm, it's miserable for them. They love the snow. In fact, they are out shoveling right now.
There are those who make the arguments about the need for water and snow equals water. I agree. I know we need the snow. I know we all want the magical white Christmas. And snow does make it feel like Christmas. However, snow makes me want to be on a beach, somewhere, anywhere, where it's at least 85 degrees. The perfect temperature.
