Snow from afar or Snow close up. - My relationship with snow.

I found this picture a while back and it has been sitting on my desktop. I didn't have any use for this picture. But I just liked it. So saved it. I have a fondness for snowflakes. No I don't love to be in them. I just like to look at them. I grew up in the foothills of California below the snow line. We almost never got snow. Although we would sometimes have high school cancelled for snow because some of the students were from higher up the hill and were snowed in. That was one of the beauties of living where we did. We didn't live in the snow but we could visit it when we wanted to. We would often "go to the snow" to tube or sled. I never got into skiing but some of my siblings love that.
It was a shock to me, when attending BYU in Utah, to not have classes cancelled due to blizzard conditions. They actually expected me to walk through the snow to get to Spanish class! I remember my Freshman year, living in the dorms and getting our first really good snow storm. It was at about Thanksgiving. And talking to my roommates from Utah about how school was cancelled when it snowed where I was from and they just laughed. I didn't realize then that in Utah the snow doesn't go away like it does in California. If it snowed where I grew up it would melt away or the snow trucks would dig out those unfortunate souls who lived up in the forests, within a few hours and then life resumed. But when I was going to BYU life just went on, snow or no snow.
This was novel at first but I soon really didn't like it. I was new to walking on the frozen snow and would slip and slide my way to classes. I had a sore backside from so many falls. I soon grew to really dislike the snow. Then it got worse. My 3rd year at BYU I was able to have a car. I thought this was great. I don't have to ride my bike around anymore. But then the snow came and in order to drive that car I had to dig it out. This was not my favorite task. No amount of gloves and winter coats could keep you warm. I loved my winter coats. I had a number of them when living in Utah. Nice wool ones and gloves a plenty. Every coat had a few pairs of gloves in the pockets.
I was very thankful for my snow training while living in Utah because it prepared me for my 2 winters in New York where I have never been so cold in my whole like. Those wool coats were nice but I think I could have worn about 3 of them and still have frozen. What I learned to wear in NY was hats. For some reason when in school I cared more about my hair and how it would look when I got to class. I didn't worry about being cold. I didn't wear hats until I was in NY. Hats became my good friends along with gloves. I often wore 2 or three pairs of gloves and would have to change them often because once they got wet or damp they were of no use.
So now I live again in Sunny California where I don't have to worry about snow. Now I can enjoy snowflakes in pictures and story books and not have to shovel it or slip and slide my way over it.
We took the kids to the snow last year. It was their first snow trip. They were so excited.

When we got there they played a little. Ian had brought a digger to play in the snow like does in the sand at the park. He had a grand time. Henry was still small and didn't like walking on it so was carried around. Sophie loved it for the first few minutes until her gloves got wet so she took them off and she went without. Then she got cold and complained and said she wanted to go home. As we drove away. Sophie said she didn't like the snow and that it was just nice to look at. I feel the same way. I don't love to be in it but it is really beautiful.