The Perfect Snow

     As a young farm boy growing up in Iowa, my perceptions of the perfect snow has many memories. Of course it would come on a school night. Going to sleep was difficult on the eve of a heavy snow warning but sleep would finally come. The first signs of daylight would awaken me. My first movement would be to the window. The Iowa countryside would be completely buried in the white cold powder. Excitement running high in my mind, my next move would be to the radio. Listen for the school closings. Each school would be read, and finally, mine. NO SCHOOL today. Yippee!!!! THE PERFECT SNOW.

     Mom would have breakfast ready and Dad would already be out doing chores. Breakfast gulped down and now my chores needed to be done. It would take twice as long, but no matter, the rest of the day was ahead of me. Finally chores were complete and let the fun begin. Snow tunnels were built, snow forts designed and fortified. Huge snowball fights with my sister always brought victory for me. (Well, that is the way I remember it at least!!!) Later in the day I would hop on the tractor and all the kids would meet on the neighbor's giant mountainside for a sledding party. I remember the hill as a mountain, but Iowa??? Mountains??? To a 10 year old, it was a MOUNTAIN. One kid had a giant coca cola cap sign.  Six of us would pile on and down the hill we would fly. There would be a bon fire of course burning at the bottom of the hill. As I look back now, I don’t think the bon fire was as much for warmth as it was a warning to bail out. You see, just beyond the fire was a barbed wire fence. I am sure the farmer did not enjoy fixing that fence each spring. A perfect day with the "perfect snow".

     As I grew older, a teacher now, I still would look forward to the perfect snow. It would mean no school, (yes teachers love snow days too), sledding with my children, doing taxes. Yuck, taxes you say!!! Hey, I was a math teacher, I loved filling in the blanks with numbers. (If line 30 is larger than line 28 then go to line 37. If line 30 in less than line 28 then open up the checkbook and mortgage the house.) Once again, even as an adult, THE PERFECT SNOW brought about great joy.

    Fast forward to today. Alas, older now, and tired of what snow would mean was ahead, I no longer thought I believed in the perfect snow. Last night, our “expert” weather people were predicting 8 inches of snow for our area. Winter storm warnings were in effect. I went to bed, my back aching, just thinking of the snow I would have to deal with in the morning.. Shoveling the drive, watching my son spin out as he took off on the slick streets, trying to entice my dog to brave the deep snow to go outside and do her thing. None of this I would look forward to now. Sleep came slowly, but finally I would doze off. Well before daybreak, I arise as usual. Looking outside, my first thoughts were, “Holy Snowflake Batman, put the snow shovel away”.  For you see, our fair city of Gotham and received snow. The virgin white sugar covered the green lawn. The housetops were blanketed in white. Trees were glistening with a new coating of snow. But, oh my, the streets were only wet. My driveway was clear. The sidewalk barren of any of the snow that covered everything else. Something has happened today that I thought would never happen again. I have again witnessed, THE PERFECT SNOW!!!!