March Snowstorms

I love snow storms in the month of March and November. Those in November announce the arrival of winter, which here in Minnesota does not have the teeth it once did. That first snow brings excitement, especially for kids. When it snows in November, you know Christmas is just around the corner, and the anticipation of the celebration of Jesus' birth builds to a mightily crescendo.

I enjoy the storms in March for a different reason. Rarely are they accompanied by brutally cold weather or skin-piercing winds. It's just snow, and will disappear into the soggy soil within a week or two. Winter is saying, "I'm not quite done yet, I can still hang on for another few weeks..." And it can suddenly bring a halt to everything, which is what happened this morning.

Our much anticipated storm actually materialized, after many false alarms this winter. A good 8-10 inches of beautifully white, wet, heavy snow fell, causing traffic snarlups, school closures (the kids really liked that!), and airport delays. My folks were delayed in Mexico for about 4 hours - and no, I don't feel sorry for them.

Storms like this bring out the best and worst in people. Not having to travel to an office, I didn't see first hand the frustration and anger that was present on the local highways and byways during the morning commute. I'm envisioning some sort of road-rage warning system, similar to our terror alert. This morning it was probably upgraded to Level Orange, announcing imminent expletive-laced screams from petite women, and life-threatening, venomous tirades from grown men.

I however really enjoyed the day. The snow clung to the trees and shrubs, coating them with a thick blanket of white. My dogs played, ran, wrestled and jumped in the stuff. When the snows subsided, I brought my snowblower out to clean off the driveway. Then brought it next door and cleaned their driveway. And then I went down the street to clean another. The weather was wonderful, and doing this small thing for my neighbors made me feel great. Nothing expected in return, just the satisfaction of having helped another person, who didn't have to throw out their back lifting this heavy stuff. I can just see them, much as I'd feel, seeing they didn't have to shovel when they got home from work, thinking "ALL RIGHT!". That by itself is enough for me.