Wow snow!

Snow, snow, snow, storm warning, snow, snow, snow, blizzard conditions, snow, snow, snow… this routine has become a permanent predicament as mounds and drifts growing higher with each passing week here in Iowa. Although our cattle appear undaunted by the weather, I suspect they, too, are frustrated by the icy temperatures and arctic winds. “Snow days” have become typical with school delays and cancellations interrupting class schedules so much that we have yet to see a full week of school this semester.

You’d think Midwesterners (myself included) would be acclimated to frequent winter storms, but survival instincts do strange things to people when the forecast turns grim. Simple chores like grocery shopping become grueling as consumers become beasts hunting for food to fill their carts. How much bread and milk do we really need to get through a two-day shut-in?

Years of mild winters have spoiled us and it was inevitable that the pendulum would swing the other way. As a country gal, I have to confess that I often find myself jealous of city dwellers this time of year with their densely spaced buildings to shelter them from the wind and cold. After all, driving home in blizzard conditions is considerably different on a country road versus a city street…and having a sport utility vehicle is not an extravagance out here.

Our dog, Lucky, has even acquired a split personality lately “shivering” outside our sliding glass doors one minute (hoping to get let inside) and romping playfully in the snow the next eating mouthfuls of snow. He’s a blue heeler/husky mix, so I suspect he comes by these traits naturally. We do let him sleep indoors on frigid nights; he likes bunking with my oldest son in his large bed with ample room to stretch out.

Admittedly, a snow-covered vista is a beauty to behold on snowy and sunny days alike. The cold feeling disappears quickly once I get working outdoors scooping snow, putting hay in for the cattle, or pulling the boys on their sleds with the tractor. Filling the bird feeders becomes crucial for my feathered friends’ survival and bulk birdseed has become a staple for me along with 50-pound bags of dog and cat food. Lately, though, I’ve noticed the birds aren’t the only ones sneaking a bite out of my feeders. Squirrels have been raiding my flat, open feeders that I put out for the larger birds like cardinals and blue jays. Usually our blue heeler, Lucky, chases the squirrels off but I think the cold and deep snow have slowed his stamina much like they've reduced mine to a crawl.

Thank heavens for readily available coffee stands and travel mugs to keep me warm on my regular winter treks to town. I’m not sure I could survive this treachery if it weren’t for some formidable ally on my side. My husband has even taken to coffee, which is quite a novelty for him not being a coffee drinker. One can’t help but recall winter childhood memories during winters like this rare one. I can’t decide if the snowfalls were more plentiful then or if I was just smaller and they seemed like mountains of snow at the end of our driveway. Who doesn’t remember tunneling through snow, snowball fights, and sledding down big hills. Maybe the only real difference is that now I really feel the cold while childhood must insultate you or perhaps we were so active, we never noticed.