Saturday, January 7, 2017

Aitkin Age column: Snow lessons

My latest column for the Aitkin Independent Age is about a Texan's experiences of Minnesota winter.

This will have been my third New Year’s since moving to Aitkin from Houston, Texas. When I first arrived and told people I’d come every summer of my life, they’d always say, “But have you been here for winter?” I would say yes, but admittedly, it wasn’t for the entire winter.
There’d be snow in Houston every few years, but it usually wouldn’t stick. It caused us kids great excitement and we’d try to be outside all the time it was snowing. Traffic in Houston is always difficult, but when there’s snow, drivers unused to it panic and it gets even more crazy. All schools declare snow days if there’s a quarter of an inch. Being homeschooled, we were unaffected, but that also meant we could take multiple recesses throughout the day.
Winter trips to Minnesota weren’t as frequent as summer trips and we looked forward to them intently. Once here, we’d spend all day outside in borrowed jackets, mittens and snow pants. The most fun I remember is when my brother, my cousin and I spent hours building a multiple-room fort complete with a toilet made of snow. (No, we didn’t use it.)
Read the rest here.

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