Daisy and the new Flexible Flyer
As a girl growing up in the south any snowfalls were special. They still are! Though not spectacular, we enjoyed the snow that came in on Thursday and Friday. It is especially nice when the snow comes in the daytime when I can sit at the window and watch the yard and surounding fields fill up with the white stuff.
Some of my favorite memories involve snow. Jack and I were married in January during semester break at college. That week one of the largest snowfalls to hit south Arkansas came and stayed! Some of the wedding party missed the rehersal dinner the night before, and some never made it to the wedding! The flowers for the reception at my grandmother's house were partially frozen when my aunt, thinking she would keep them fresh overnight, put them on the attic stairs! The snow meant that our honeymoon had to be p0stponed until the following summer. Maybe it was providence since this was when we discovered the beautiful mountains of north Arkansas.
When Jay was little, we lived lived a little further north in Benton-- on a hill. Our family, along with the neighbors survived nine glorious days "stranded". We spent the time sledding down the long hills in the neighborhood. I can remember a night with kids and grownups alike sledding in the moonlight and warming our hands with mugs of hot cocoa between runs. Priceless!!
That was when I learned what an exhilerating experience sledding can be. We still have the old Flexible Flyer from that time when Jay was little, but early this winter I bought a new one in anticipation of someday seeing Jack Henry on it. (Really, I wanted one myself. ) Though the snow was melting fast yesterday, I managed to get in several good runs on our own "bunny slope", with plans to go the distance on the "long run". The "long run" is the ultimate in sledding fun. We start at the top of our drive and go sailing down to the mailbox--a distance of about 200 curvey yards. Again, priceless! However, the temperatures and sun made the long trip down impossible, and I bogged down into the soft gravel before reaching the bottom. Oh well, it is just February. Still time for another good snow or two before spring.
Snow Toward Evening
Suddenly the sky turned gray,
The day,
Which had been bitter and chill,
Grew soft and still.
Quietly
From some invisible blossoming tree
Millions of petals cool and white
Drifted and blew,
Lifted and flew,
Fell with the falling night.
--Melville Cane
