Snow Rant

Even if it is an urban legend, the idea that Eskimos had fifty different words for snow is much more believable now that I live in snow. Of the winters I've spent in Idaho, I have noticed several different kinds of snow. There are big, feathery, fluffy snowflakes that fall ever so softly; there are round, pellet-like bits of snow that look like the styrofoam beads found in many bean bag chairs that jump like popcorn when falling on the dead grasses; there are icy, flat bits that look like the fake, iridescent plastic snow found in many store window displays.

Snow can  be beautiful, but it is a dangerous beauty. I wrecked our car driving on an icy road one winter, and I have resented the snow ever since. Not to mention the real danger of freezing to death on the highway, if one happened to slide off the road into a deep enough snow bank at night. I constantly have to clear the white stuff off of my car, lest reduced visibility cause another accident, or the car doors get frozen shut from melted and refrozen snow.


I now understand why in so much literature winter is referred to as a time of rest, of slowing down and reflecting. I grew up in a place that had mild, rainy winters; I never had to stay home because of weather, nor was I afraid to travel. I used to wonder why the natives in Idaho drove so slowly--it's because they are in the habit of driving as if there was still snow on the ground! And now I am inside, hibernating like many other North American mammals. Too bad I can't wake up in May having used up all my fat stores... 


It's also no wonder why there are so many summer babies born here, or rather, so many babies in general; not much else to do on a cold winter's night! Some might blame it on LDS tendencies for proliferation, but I don't think it's just us. Not that the poor babies can even go outside once they're born--most moms around here have to cocoon their babes in impossible layers just for a quick grocery trip.

If I hadn't grown up in a mild climate, none of this would bother me. It would be the norm, and I wouldn't have such cravings to go out and DO stuff in the middle of January. Or I would be able to act on those urges and participate in the many winter sports available. Skiing is expensive, though! Season passes cost $400 and up, plus the cost of transportation to the mountain, and sometimes even separate lift ticket costs to get up the mountain! There is also the hundreds of dollars spend on gear, like boards, boots, jackets, pants, goggles and gloves. Who would have thought that weather could make it so expensive just to go outside? 

Other costs include gas wasted warming up one's vehicle before every excursion and the increased heating and water costs. In older buildings, the thermostat must be set at a minimum level and the water must be constantly trickling to prevent frozen pipes. Then when an old pipe does burst, it costs hundreds and even thousands to repair the damage. So much for conservation efforts; there's not even a recycling collection service, just a few bins in the Wal-Mart parking lot.


All this in the pursuit of higher education... Maybe someday I'll see these sacrifices as worthwhile. And maybe not.