The Book of Me, Written by You - Week 15 - SNOW

The Book Of Me, Written By You is a 15 month project set up by Julie Goucher at Anglers Rest.

Each week there are prompts which require answering. 

Week 15 - SNOW

I grew up in the south Pennines in the UK, so most winters we would have one or two good snowfalls, which we could enjoy.

I suspect I would have been very young when I first experienced snow but I had no first memory of snow. 

A fresh snowfall a few years ago from our kitchen window at night

When it snowed as children we occasionally had a day or two off school, or play days at school watching videos in the school hall if not all the staff could get in. We would always find time to go sledging in the park and rather than build a snowman we would opt for an igloo (not that we ever made one particularly successfully!), but it was fun at the time. We would be allowed to help my dad clear our paths and the elderly neighbours paths as well. If snow fell on a Sunday morning, on the way to church dad would pull us along on the sledge. I still have a sledge in my basement with which my father made for us. It needs some TLC now though. 

I hate snowball fights for at school people would just blast you with them at full force ignoring the fact that they had often created ice balls and bloody well hurt if they hit you.

Up to a few years ago, snow on a weekday filled me with dread as I had 30 mile commute in the car across the Pennines to work, but now with a lesser commute it is less frightening.

If it snows on a non-weekday though I would drop everything to go and sledge on the miniature golf course at our local park with our friends. I bought an expensive sledge for my husband one Christmas which is really fast and he lives it.

I love waking up to see a fresh covering of snow, as it makes the world feel a much brighter place. Everything looks clean and fresh and smooth as if the world has been cleansed. I love an early morning walk in the park whilst most people are snug in their beds, through the fresh crunching snow under your feet. I love wrapping up really snug and warm to go out.

Last year in January, my husband and I went to see the Lion King musical in Manchester, but whilst we had been in the show it had started snowing very heavily. We live in Bradford and had to get home and got stuck on the motorway near Rochdale for a few hours. We got home eventually at 2am and it was beautiful seeing the world so fresh and white long before anyone else would wake up. You can read a blog post about this at RuthHogan.Blogspot.co.uk.

View from the top of Porter's Ski Field, NZ

We both love skiing and have enjoyed a number of holidays in the snow of the Alps in Europe and in the ski fields of New Zealand (to read more about our adventures in New Zealand see my other blog RuthHogan.blogspot.co.uk). In fact we plan a trip to Germany in January 2014 to see our newest niece, Amelie but also to get some winter skiing in there as well.

Lake Coleridge from the top of Porter's Ski Field, NZ