February Snow

In the fall, I always look forward to the first snow fall.  In New Jersey, that usually means some flurries and a glassy coating a time or two in December.  January may give us a few inches one day, but it is February that supplies the most snowfall.  At least that has been my experience growing up and growing old in the Garden State. 

February is a month I look forward to because my Grandpa Charlie’s birthday was on the 9^th, my anniversary is on the 10^th, and my mother’s birthday was on the 25^th.  Also, there’s Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day to celebrate, not to mention Lunar New Year when it falls in February.  Having celebrations makes the winter not so dreary.  And snow days are maybe the best kind of celebrations.  They are unexpected.  They are little gifts from above that remind us to slow down and hibernate for a little while – maybe make some soup, read a good book, or watch a romantic movie. 

I have been needing a little respite from the busy world, so this weekend’s snow was a welcomed event. It will allow people to snuggle down until the Super Bowl begins.  Yesterday, it seemed that all of New Jersey was out shopping in grocery stores.  My local market’s parking lot was jammed pack. Heaven forbid, we should go without another bag of chips or salsa!  But all this going and doing will end in a quiet day a home with loved ones.

One of the favorite things for my loved one and I to do after a snowfall is to go outside to many of our local parks and hike looking for ways to capture the beauty with our cameras.  I love iced-over rivers, branches laced with snow, fences and railings dripping with icicles. On a recent trek to the park, I watched families sled down a small but slick slope.  It was fun to see parents cheering on their children.  One little girl with bright pink cheeks had a death grip on the edges of her snow disc as she screamed all the way down the hill.  She ran back up shouting, “That was TERRIFYING!  Let’s do it again!”  I had forgotten how terrifying and exhilarating sledding was.  If I had a sled with me, I probably would have hurtled myself down the slope.  I have to comfort myself as a bystander watching well-bundled children speed past screaming, laughing, and having the time of their lives. Definitely a time for sledding adventures to remember.