Snow Much Fun

Well, we're well past our first snow, but with that long warm winter hiatus this last week has felt like the first true blast of winter.

As much as I dreaded it, I find now that it's not so bad. It kind of bolsters my cantankerousness, and I almost look forward to waking up to see what the weather left behind the night before.

Living in Northeast Ohio, winter is a six-month condition. You start getting cold rain in October or November, have a blast or two of snow in December, and then in January and February sometimes weeks of bitter cold. At least now the days are getting longer. We have so few really warm, sunny days that the winters seem longer than they really are.

But this time around, with a nearly fecund fall, winter is almost a festive event. There's something to braving the cold and then coming home to a cozy evening reading stories or playing games, or if it's just me, learning tunes or reading or simmering thoughts.

There's a new twist to our family winter this season. The kids' dad has enrolled them in ski lessons, and it's going really well. "Uncreative" is an instructor at our local slopes and has inspired everyone to get out and connect with winter. I've only been skiing a couple of times but it was really hard work, and therefore I know it must be good exercise. I'm glad my kids are getting out and replenishing their lungs with good fresh air, even if it is cold. And finally, no one should miss my daughter A. on the slopes. She'll be a regular little Peek-A-Booboo before too long. In a week or two I plan to join them, since I sure can't beat em. They all have poles and I don't.

Here's a fun winter fiddle frolic from Tim O'Brien's grammy winner, Fiddler's Green.

Enjoy the season for what it is. In a few months snow will yield to fiddleheads and mossy streams running free again, and the sun will beat down on your fields and flowers.

First Snow -- studio version

First Snow -- Live with Dirk Powell, Casey Driessen, Johnny Doyle, and Tim