Searching For Winter

           When I grew up the first snowfall was a really big deal- I can recognize the smell of snow- I know when it is about to snow. Living in Vancouver- next to the ocean- one of the things that we rarely see or even smell is snow! And it's something I dearly miss. Not so much the gross- worn out February snow- the stuff that's been hanging around since before the Holidays! It's the fresh- beautiful- fluffy stuff that I miss terribly- the thought of tucking in while the flakes make the world silent is what I miss- the fresh layer of white blanketing the earth is what I miss. So it's only natural that this mountain gal headed for the hills as soon as the winds turned chilly!

            It's so funny to watch my city kids sort out their feelings towards snow- one s a bit more cautious and the other jumps right in. None of us have the proper gear but that totally didn't stop us from a spur of the moment frolic in fresh white powder on a recent trip home from the Okanagan. We stopped at the top of the mountain pass- a rest stop that the weekend previous we had picnicked in shirt sleeves- now covered in over a foot of snow.

            There truly is nothing like coming back inside with frozen fingers and toes- cheeks tingling as they start to warm back up- wet socks on the heater. Given the chance my boy would stay out in the snow all day every day- he says all he needs is a dog and some snow and life would be perfect- I kinda agree!