Today’s Word from Deacon Amy…
Can you remember the excitement of a “snow day” when you were in school? If you grew up in Western Washington, it was particularly thrilling! A snow day was a bonus day – no school, no responsibilities, just fun! All of the kids in our neighborhood would gather in our front yards to play together; we’d build snowmen, construct snow forts and have fantastic snowball fights – of course, with the amount of snow we get around here, this often meant gathering snow from several front yards. When we couldn’t handle the cold any more, we’d tromp inside, leave a pile of soggy clothes by the front door, and enjoy some hot cocoa. There was always hot cocoa on snow days.
When I was 12 years old, we moved from our cozy neighborhood in downtown Bothell to a small farm outside of Snohomish. I got my first horse, we acquired a couple of goats, and we moved a few hens into our new coop. That first winter, I learned that snow days are not all fun and games. Snow days meant frozen hoses and trekking 5-gallon buckets of water to the barn multiple times each day. Deep snow made it that much harder. Horses have the odd ability to gather compacted mounds of snow on the bottom of their hooves – especially if they wear metal shoes. Picking frozen ice and snow from horse hooves is not a fun task. By my second winter, I learned to spray cooking oil on the bottom of my mare’s hooves to prevent this – who knew?
Of course, having kids of my own brought back the joy of snow days. Watching their eyes light up as they spotted the first few flakes falling was a moment to be cherished. We had a lot of fun building tiny snowmen when there was barely enough snow to gather, pouring food coloring over bowls of snow to make a special treat (why did they think purple snow tasted great?), and sledding in the horse field. Of course, when they were too cold to have any more fun, we’d all come inside for some hot cocoa. Hot cocoa is essential on snow days.
Our animal friends all have unique reactions to the snow. Our goats hate it – they stand in their stall and stare at us in disgust, as if asking why on earth we would put that white stuff everywhere! Chickens share their displeasure. My horses, however, have always had fun frolicking in fresh-fallen snow. It’s amusing to watch them run and buck, jump and twist, as they play like children. Tossing snowballs for our dogs is always entertaining, as they furiously hunt for the mysterious disappearing ball.
Last night, my girls and I were out spreading straw in the dark, making sure that everyone would be cozy when the temperatures dropped below freezing. We have a few hens who insist on sleeping outside, but we corralled them into the coops with the others. I brought some empty buckets up to the house so they would be ready to be filled in the morning and hauled out to the various barns and fields. Who knows if we’ll actually get snow, but we figure it’s always better to prepare rather than try to catch up.
As we watch the weather forecasts and try to gauge the color of the sky, it’s fun to reminisce on childhood snow days. I hope you take a moment to remember the thrill of waking up to a fresh blanket of snow and the endless possibilities that come with it!
Deacon Amy
