It was a snow day. The best kind, too. Not only were the school buses cancelled, but schools were closed and the roads were too messy to venture out on. We all stayed in our jammies til noon, made waffles with berry topping for breakfast, and lounged around watching the Weather Network.
Later in the afternoon, however, I began to feel a bit sluggish. Maybe it was too many cups of vanilla nut tea. It was probably the fact that since 8 am my eyes had been glued to a screen–television, ipod, blackberry or laptop (I may have been in my pj’s but there was still work to be done!). I considered a nap, but knew that would make me groggy. I looked out the window for the millionth time, enjoying beautiful windswept snow in the yard. It was time to take the plunge.
The girls had already been out for a walk (it’s so lovely they have friends within walking distance of the house) and told me it was cold, but that didn’t put me off. I like winter.
It wasn’t long before I was outside with the boys, shovel in hand. We cleared off the van and set to the driveway (well, T. mostly just flopped around in the snow, but he’s ten and I would expect nothing less). Soon I was tossing snowballs–or snow handfuls, since it was so powdery and fresh–and being foolish.
Next thing we know the two teenage girls next door came out to offer the help of their snowblower, an offer which was happily received. The three of us chatted while A. (fine strapping young man that he is) cleared the snow. They finally went inside, but we went across the street and introduced ourselves to B. and A., who seemed to need a hand clearing the snow in front of their house.
It was only an hour or two but it was wonderful– and here I had almost forgotten to go outside! It made me think of a passage out of a book I am reading just now:
“Garden photographs, which mouth-wateringly decorate so many articles about gardens…can take no account of the complex experience of being in a garden…the smells, the sounds, the relationship of one part to another, the sense of process and imminent change, the fragility of the whole experience….” (Rory Stuart, What are Gardens For?)
Exactly. I could have had a nice snow day looking out the window. But I had a fantastic snow day as soon as I went outside and immersed myself in it. Wind, snowflakes, working muscles, friendly neighbours and goofy kids added vitality, zing, wonder.
It was a fine snow day, indeed.
