"Ooooh, I'm drivin' my life away..."

As I sit to write this, the snow is starting to fall again outside; not heavy, but enough that it is in the air with the potential to be more. I am glad my vacation starts and I can be snowbound.

When I was a kid, winter's lasted a long time, and it was really awesome! My sisters and I loved playing in the snow and could spend hours outside digging snow tunnels, sled riding, throwing snowballs and playing fox and goose. We didn't have official "snow clothes" to wear. We just layered on long-johns, pants, another pair of pants, a couple of shirts or sweatshirts and a winter jacket. Oh, and don't forget the mittens, hats, scarves, and at least two pairs of socks. Getting ready to go outside was such a chore! Maybe that's why when we did go out, we would stay out for hours.

I don't remember my mom ever complaining about all the dripping, snow-encrusted clothing that we would hang up all over the utility/mudroom and kitchen. I would think about that when my children were all younger and spending time playing in the snow. I'm pretty sure I was not always so gracious when it came to the snow puddles on the floor and the piles of clothing on the radiators drying.

Beside the house I grew up in, out in The Cove, was "The Field". Long and hilly, it was perfect for sled riding. We would call the neighbor boy to come up and join us and then the fun would begin. First, we'd have to make a sufficient sled track. The best was when the snow was deep enough that you could work it into a winding groove down the hillside. This took time to get it done, but when it was complete....LOOK OUT! Sometimes we'd go down all connected like a train, other times we'd make a couple tracks and race.

And we would always sing an Eddie Rabbit country song, "Oooohhh, I'm drivin' my life away..."

The worst part was walking back up the slippery slope. It took 10 times as long to go up as it took to fly down. Where was the snowmobile when you needed it?

I remember one time it was all icy and you could see the grass trapped beneath this thick layer of clear ice.  Now that made for some fast (I think it was almost illegal, it was so fast!) sledding. Usually we didn't make it all the way to the bottom of the field where a fence separated it from the neighbor's yard, but that day we did. You couldn't stop yourself and had to lay flat or get caught in the barbed wire. Oh, it was fun!

Tomorrow is Saturday. Snowman making day? Sled-riding? (Of course sledding is a little boring when you live on Level Acres Lane.) Fox and Goose? It has been a long time since I just went out and played in the snow. Maybe tomorrow....

2 years ago

Me and Leo built this one down on the dock to the pond.

Ryan did this one without any help. I think they are both adorable!