A Variety of Winters

All-day snow today, with wind. It may be falling even now, but I haven't checked lately. The winds made for some odd drifts. Late in the afternoon, I opened the back door and found snow piled up against it. The shovel was leaning against the wall on the far side of the door. So it was a bit of low comedy, getting that shovel so that I could dig out some snow and open the door enough to reach were the shovel was. Fortunately no one was watching.

Heard on the radio this evening that it was 20 below zero Fahrenheit in Fargo. Ah, Fargo, I only have summertime memories of you -- idling under the shade trees by the Red River of the North, pushing a tandem bicycle in the high heat of July, etc. -- and I plan to keep it that way.

In spite of the snow, school was open this morning and I made Lilly walk the short distance, over her protests. You know, builds character, or something. Also cuts down the risk of my car ending up in an odd position at an odd place beside the road; cuts it right down to zero. But I didn't want to be churlish about it, so I walked with her. She used to insist that I do that most mornings, but that faded away sometime more than a year ago.

I had a good walk, never mind the snow and wind. I have no memories of walking to school in the ice and snow, since it never happened in San Antonio. I'd have to say to Lilly, "Why when I was your age, I walked to school every morning and... and... it wasn't ever this cold."