Snow

Anyone who was thinking this post was going to be about the ill fated, 90's white rapper can just click away now. (Pretty sure no one thought that....) This is about pure, unadulterated near frozen water. (It's not frozen? Wouldn't it be rain then?) At least, I don't think it's "frozen" compared to hail. Who cares. The point is, I'm talking about Winter's Messenger, Jack Frost's dandruff; snow.

Why talk about snow? Because I'm not ready for it. We haven't even had Halloween yet, and there was snow in the weather forecast the last two days. I'm fairly certain that parts of north and north western Maine actually had some hit the ground. This is preposterous!! I've even heard that in parts of the County (the what?) snow doesn't evacuate until sometime in June! Are you serious?!?! I would completely lose it if I had to endure more than what I already do for snow totals. Unfortunately, I actually think this year we will get MORE snow than last year, and we really did get a lot last year. (I think you should type 'year' 1 more time....)

I do enjoy watching it snow, however. That's what keeps me torn. I find a certain calming effect in just watching the first few snowfalls. There's a distinct stillness all around, (yeah, everything's frozen!) and there is the undeniable scent of the oncoming snow. That novely wears off far too quickly once I realize that I cannot see my car anymore, and that I have to shovel a path to said car from my apartment building door. It starts there. It progresses to the parking lot getting smaller and smaller as the massive banks of past precipitation pile up and cannot be pushed any further by the hungry plow. (Hungry plow?) Oh, and I didn't take that pic of the cars on the streets there. It is Congress St I think, so if anyone knows who took it, please give them their credit in the comments. Also tell them I didn't know it was theirs, I swear!

Then, one must contend with the roadway, and the horrible visions of being unable to stop and driving right into the minivan in front of you. The incessant flashes of not slowing down enough around an icy curve and just heading straight when the road goes to the right. (That wasn't a sentence...it was good though...just not a sentence...) I think the first snowfall is generally the worst when it comes to driving. It's not because the roads are particularly dangerous, it's because it seems that everyone forgets how to drive in the snow. I'd be willing to bet that more Winter traffic accidents occur during the first real storm of the season.

I was also never really big on Winter sports either. I have lived in Maine all of my 28 years, but I have not once been skiing. I went ice fishing a few times when I was a kid with my Dad, I think I went ice skating...once...I did however really like sledding and tubing down a hill. The Winter Olympics are completely lost on me as well. I just don't care. (I thought this was about snow, now he's gone onto Winter as a whole?) They say (who's they?) that Winter brings about fits of depression, and I understand why. It comes at the end of the year, so maybe you run your brain through all the things you never accomplished, yet said were at the very top of your list. Maybe you feel closed in by the thousands of inches of snow. (Is it wrong to get creeped out when you live on the second floor, look out the window and see the damn snowbank right there?!?!) Maybe you're just like me and get sick of the season before it even starts. If it were up to me, it would snow for the first time every Winter, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I don't want to see a damn snow flake until then. With my luck though, if I got that wish, it would then snow about three and a half feet every day after Christmas right up until April.

The snow falls hard and don't you know, the winds of Thor are blowing cold. This Winter better not have a no quarter mentality, but if it does, I'll be ready. I'm purchasing a flame thrower this year. (Nice...'No Quarter' RULES!)