Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Bright, White World

Do you ever find yourself writing about something that you really don’t like?

Today, I find myself in that situation. See, I’m not a snow person. I don’t like snow. I’ve always said that if I wanted to play in snow, I had rather got to where it is than have it come to me.

Well, snow came to Georgia Sunday night. It started snowing around 10 p.m. or so and didn’t stop until Monday morning. We’re not talking about light snow showers off and on during the night. No, we’re talking about heavy, continuous snow all night long. 


We got 6 to 8 inches of snow and in some places even more. The icy mixture that followed the snow Monday morning helped pack it down so it was hard to get an exact measurement. On the news last night, there were reports that areas in the Northeastern part of the state go up to 14 inches.

Since we had tried to prepare for the worst, I didn’t panic quite as much as I normally do. There was no way to go to work, I didn’t have to worry about trying to get to a grocery store and thankfully as of the writing of this (11 p.m. last night), the power was still on.

In years past, I’ve always had to be out in the snow working since I lived in town and the streets were semi-cleared. I always got to see the wrecks, problems from the power outages, the worst side of the snow.

Living in the country now, makes it almost impossible to go to work in conditions like these. So I decided to take a different look at the
snow. I even made snow cream and wandered out in it a bit. It doesn’t mean I like snow any better, but I did try to see the beauty in it for a change. There is a peaceful and calm side to it.

I will try to appreciate the beauty of the snow more. But, by the
looks of my yard and surrounding woods - I’ll be appreciating this snow for a great number of days. 

The temperatures are expected to barely get above freezing for the next several days. It will be Saturday before the temperature is expected to reach 41 and that’s in Atlanta which means we are usually about 3 to 5 degrees colder. 

How do you feel about snow? Do you love it or do you panic when they say the ‘s’ word? If you’re a writer, do you include weather as a part of your story? If you have extra sunshine, please send it my way. BTW, have you noticed that today's date is 1/11/11?


29 comments:

  1. I love snow despite being snowed in once for three days without power, any heat source or any way to prepare food. What I'm not keen on is ice. And the sub freezing temps predicted for the next few days frighten me.

    I did notice the date. I like it!

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  2. Ooh...1-1-11!

    The kids like the snow more than I do. :) I won't drive in it, which didn't used to be a problem, but now the children want to go to other neighborhoods to play with other friends and it makes me feel conflicted. And now it's turned to ice...am sure y'all are in the same situation. But we have power--yay! Good for you for looking for the beauty in it. :)

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  3. Mason - I'm sorry that you're not a snow person, but are suddenly faced with a lot of it. I just love snow, and your 'photos remind me of how much I miss it.

    You bring up a really interesting point too: how do we deal with things when life hands us the opposite of what we like. Snow for non-snow-people, paperwork for people who hate pushing pencils, that kind of thing. You've inspired me to think about my character development, so thanks!!

    ...and good for you to focus as much as you can on the positive.

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  4. I love snow, especially when it is falling because it's so peaceful. I love the look of it when it accumulates and making that single track showing I walked it. Once it gets dirty and sloggy, not so much.

    Today is my niece birthday and she kindly reminded me of the dates 1-11-11.

    Have a good Tuesday.

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  5. We'll be getting your snow here tomorrow, 1 to 2 inches per hour is predicted, with over a foot accumulation. I love it though. There's a certain quiet to winter that I don't find in summer, and it's beautiful to notice.

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  6. yep, I just noticed ten minutes ago that it's 1.11.11. :) Hope it's not a mark of an apocalypse :)
    I'm different from you, I adore snow and the magic it brings. But here in Europe we are currently having some unusual springy temperatures of almost 15*C so there's no snow for us :(

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  7. Hi Mason - when Georgia gets this much snow it is definitely an event!

    I have a love/hate relationship with it. Living in these mountains we see a lot of it. The ski resorts, of course, love the years we get lots and lots of it. I love it as it's falling and it brings a quiet with it that is unique to a snow day. Then in a few days when it's still on the ground and it's dirty and we're still trudging through it to get to work I'm less enthralled. Then comes a fresh new snow and the whole process starts all over again. Harley the Wonder Corgi wishes it would snow all year.

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  8. Yep I noticed today is 1/11/11 !!! Wonder how many people will play THAT number today??? And....trust me...it WON'T FALL...not today! count on it!

    I feel so sorry for all of you in the South that are experiencing such freaky weather. You are getting more snow than we are in MICHIGAN! We are supposed to get about 5 inches today (but that is normal for us) and frankly we aren't having a super snowy winter.

    I have mixed feelings about the snow. Since I am out of work it doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I find it to be quite beautiful when it is a FRESHLY fallen snow (before it gets all dirty/gray)...

    I love when giant flakes fall gently from the sky, it looks magical to me. I also love to take walks, early evening when it is in the 30s (which feels WARM FOR US) and it gets all shimmery and sparkly on the sidewalks.

    Snow and driving? Not so much!
    Be safe and cozy!

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  9. I really don't mind the snow if it isn't mixed with ice. My animals love to go out and play in the snow but not this stuff. One dog will barely go out of the house and the donkeys will not get off their little path they have made between the barns. This ice stuff is just brutal. The snow does make everything very pretty and clean. I did know it was 1/11/11 today.Pretty neat. Hope you have a super day.

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  10. And a happy 1/1/11 to you, too. Yesterday, a colleague of Hubster in Atlanta had more snow on her deck than we did up here in Divide, CO at 9100 feet. I'm new to being a snow person, and so far, I'm enjoying it. 30 years in Florida was ENOUGH.

    Terry
    Terry's Place
    Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

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  11. I actually like the snow...but I did grow up in Miami.

    New follower...

    demitrialunetta.blogspot.com

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  12. I KNEW we were sisters. I've lived either in Illinois or Missouri all my life and I have never liked the white stuff. However, sometimes I try to step back and see the snow through snow lovers eyes. Then I have to admit it is pretty and fresh.

    You're photos are pretty.

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  13. I was New England born - love the snow. We're in the middle of a big snowstorm today and I don't have to drive anywhere. Life is perfect.

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  14. Just enjoy the view and rare snowfall, Mason. I've lived many places where it snowed, sometimes even drifting as high as the roof. I still love snow. If I can't get out and get to work or anyplace else, that's fine by me!

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  15. I did notice the date and I want to stop and ponder a moment when the time is 11:11.

    I like to see snow, but don't like getting out in it too much. Loved playing in the snow when I was younger--the cold didn't bother me as much then. Now I'd like to just sit at a window in warm clothes with the heat on and look at it. No snow here in Los Angeles though.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  16. I actually really like snow. It has a playfulness to it, it's beautiful... What I DON'T like is temperatures below 20 and 7 month winters... I agree with you SORT OF on the 'rather go see it'--when we lived in Portland we rarely got snow, but 30 minutes away Mt. Hood had it for 11 months, so we could ski whenever... I would really LOVE to live somewhere that had A LOT of snow from Dec. 15-Jan. 15 and then warmed up a lot. And if you hear of such a place, let me know.

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  17. I love the look of snow when I'm comfortably settled in my house. I hate the rain more. Well, I love thundershowers where it gets dark, pours like mad, and then the sun comes out. I don't like the grey rain for days and days.
    CD

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  18. I grew up with snow. Compared with the six months of packed snow in Minnesota, Colorado is great. It snows, the next day it melts. You can watch it evaporate into the atmosphere. Of course, sometimes it takes more than one day. We are talking Denver. The mountains are a whole different story.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, fantasy author

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  19. I like it, but we hardly ever get it here in Austin. Maybe once every 6-8 years. Then the entire city comes to a halt. We get ice storms more often - every 3-4 years. Same situation, but I prefer the snow.

    Enjoy it while you can because you don't have to go anywhere. Just look at the beauty and see how light everything seems. :-)

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  20. I don't like the snow because of the inconvenience it brings. And being in the South, people are not set up for the snow which means it can be a mess for a very long time.

    Several years ago we were in Breckenridge, CO in very early October. We expected to see some beautiful leaf colors. Instead, we had over two feet of snow for which they were not prepared so early in the season!

    Hope it thaws out for you soon.

    Monti
    NotesAlongTheWay

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  21. I don't mind snow - I love taking photos in it and I like it in the country where it stays clean and white. My big hate is for DRIVING on icy snowy roads. Tomorrow we're supposed to get another storm. I've phoned my clients and told them what they already know - I'm a wimp! If it does come like it is supposed to I will not be driving.
    My fella just got back from his mum's place in Labrador (look it up!) For the first time in recorded and living history the bay is not frozen. There's hardly any snow. There's no caribou. I repeat - there's no caribou. This is REALLY abnormal. ah well, snow in georgia on the peaches and none in snow country. go figure.

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  22. I noticed the date--pretty cool, actually.

    I don't mind snow, but when it's on the sidewalk and and affecting traffic it's not so good.

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  23. I'm not a fan of snow either, Mason. The only time I ever like it is when I'm snug at home and don't have to go out until it melts.

    What's worse than snow though is black ice. Because no one can ever see it. I had a run in with the nasty stuff just an hour ago when I was getting out of my car at the store. I slipped in four different directions before I ended up on the ground with a sprained knee. It. Was. Great.

    I hate winter.

    Jai

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  24. VR, the ice is the worst. I'm with you on being frighten by the low temps they're calling for.

    Elizabeth, I wish I could feel like kids do about snow. They see the fun and wonder of it. Our snow is turning to ice in place and I'm afraid tomorrow will be worse.

    Margot, believe it or not I'm better dealing with the snow than I use to be. Guess I'm mellowing in my old age. Glad to help with your character development in any way I can. :)

    Dru, the snow coming down is beautiful, especially if they are big flakes. Happy Birthday to your niece, how cool. Take care tomorrow, I understand the bad weather is headed your way.

    Joanne, there is a quietness to the snow that can be both peaceful and a little eerie (that's when I start thinking about all the stories I've read about killings in the snow). Over a foot of snow, WOW. Hope you get a chance to enjoy it.

    Dez, it's strange how one part of the world is unseasonably warm and another have more snow than ever. Wish I could send you all my snow.

    Kaye, you said it. Georgia's not use to very much snow. Brisco has loved playing in the snow too. I took the cats out just to get a photo of them in the snow and they didn't care for it a bit.

    Caren, this is crazy weather. Michigan should have the snow, not Georgia. I noticed tonight that parts of the yard sparkled like it has glitter sprinkled on it.

    Karen, we're one of those towns that shuts down with an inch of snow so you can image how crazy it is with 6 to 8 inches.

    Marg, the ice is terrible. We have 5 horses and they aren't happy about it at all.

    Terry, that's funny that Atlanta has more snow than Colorado. Now me, the 30 years in Florida sounds nice (without the hurricanes, of course).

    Demitria, nice to meet you and thanks for following. Hope you enjoy stopping by. Miami sounds so nice right now.

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  25. Teresa, yes we are sisters. The snow is pretty falling but it's what happens after it's on the ground that causes so many problems.

    Linda, not having to drive in the snow does make it easier to deal with. Hope your snowstorm isn't too bad.

    Alex, okay you gave me a scare - snow drifts as high as the house. I'd be so stressed out.

    Arlee, when we're younger the snow does seem more fun. Not fair there's no snow in LA. :)

    Hart, now I like your idea of snow for a month and that's it. I don't like temperatures below 60. LOL

    Clarissa, the comfort of home does help with the snow issues. Rain is a wonderful time to read for me.

    Nancy, snow that melts the next day is the best kind.

    Kay, the ice storms are the worst.

    Monti, the inconvenience is what I've always had to deal with and why I don't like snow. Most just see the fun.

    Jan, you're not a wimp - you're just being safe. The world is getting crazier if there's little snow in Labrador and we have so much here. Not fair for the caribou.

    Golden Eagle, just thinking of driving in the snow and ice stresses me out.

    Jai, I hope you are okay. A sprained knee is rough. Take care.

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  26. Sounds like it hit you worse than us in Texas.

    I grew up in Chicago so I'm used to snow, but I was perfectly happy to leave it behind when I moved to Texas. It's a novelty when we get snow here and when it happens it makes me a little nostalgic about the old days.

    As long as I don't have to drive in it, I'm happy. I like the quiet of a deep snow.

    Good luck, hon. Hope the snow goes back where it belongs.

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  27. Oooooh! You must admit that snow makes the world more beautiful!

    On the whole I like snow because it reminds me of my childhood winters. But recently we have had more snow so last winter we definitely got our share. This year seems more normal - so far. If it stays for too long I do get grumpy and tired of it, but I think it is much better for our mood than the grey, bleak weather which is the alternative. And I don´t panic; on the contrary I think it is a bit of fun to drive through it in my tiny car.

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  28. Wow, what a change for you guys! I love the quiet of a good snow...here in MN, we make the best of it for many months!

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  29. Hi Mason .. we had our fair share before Christmas - very early .. but it went fairly quickly. I love the quiet of it & and the beauty - but I couldn't get up to see my Ma .. I could have struggled, but certainly didn't want to be in hospital with a fractured something! Used a taxi until I could get my own car out!

    It is beautiful .. but the amount they had in the north of England and Scotland )& they're still getting it) is a bit rough - though it's warm for now. Strange weather world we're in ..

    I hope you're clearing now? Happy weekend with or without the white fluffy stuff! Cheers Hilary

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.