the magic of winter in walnut hill!

   

I feel like a need to do a reality check! {pinch, pinch!} Yes, I am still living in amazing FLORIDA where we have now survived an 'istoric ICE STORM, and WHCS has now been closed for TWO SNOW DAYS! It seems like we've been living in someone else's life! Tuesday we were still in school even though the public schools were all already shut down. It started sleeting around 10:00 or so, and the children were amazed at the icicles growing off my Yukon and everything else! We tried to blow bubbles at last recess in hopes that they would freeze before popping, but we only had soap water and straws which didn't work at all. By 2:30 I was panicking to leave and get home and off the roads! Ice-driving would not be my specialty...I haven't ever tried it, but it is NOT on my bucket list! Daniel and I decided we weren't adequately prepared for the coming storm {no spam or bottled water} so we ventured up to Atmore to make a stop by the bank and grocery store. Alas! All the banks we closed, and we barely grabbed some grub from Winn-Dixie before their doors closed as well. Since the truck door was so iced over that it wouldn't close properly, Danl gave it a good yank and the handle broke since it was so brittle and frozen I guess...So many problems when you have real winter!! Goodness! Now we have to order a new one! Woke up Wednesday morning to a winter wonderland!! Time to play! After dressing warmly and putting the dogs in the truck on leashes, we headed over to get Mom and Mel to go exploring! Dad opted to stay warm and dry in the office and get a report of the fun later. The dogs went ballistic and tore around like they had rabies! It was hilarious! They even managed to pull me skiing on my rump a little ways! Then we met up with Hiebert kids and went sliding down the slopes on a piece of tin and Mel's boogie board. The blue plastic sit-up thing-a-ma-jig was a fail. Also the thin sheets of plastic that got hung up in the briers. Then Landon and Danl hooked the tin up behind the dually and we went whipping laps around the pasture! Almost everyone flew off at some point or another! It was a blast! But smitingly cold too!! Valerie brought out warm, blueberry muffins that hit the spot! Next we drove over to Ben and Erica's where some were sliding on car hoods, but we caught it between bursts of action. Daniel cut some daring dually donuts for Mom's benefit and we headed to the house. Danl and Mel went hunting while I bundled back up and went out to build the classy "Sleet Woman," instead of a snowman, that I had dreamed up! She was gonna rock a houndstooth scarf and a mint fedora! But she never materialized as the sleet refused to be formed. I gave up and made a sad little dog face with charcoal lump eyes and red paw print bandanna. Then I tried to make "sleet angels" but you couldn't make a dent in the crusty stuff. So I went inside, drew a bath, gave myself a mani/pedi, and leafed relaxingly through a magazine while sipping hot tea. I can handle snow days, let me tell you! Later on after Frito pie, we piled back into the truck to take Mel home. Since it was gotten up to 38 degrees in the afternoon, the ice had somewhat melted before refreezing which resulted in the slickest black ice I ever wanna see! I was ready to give our heavy 4 wheel drive a hug by the time we got back home! She saved the day! This morning I was hoping the melting point would hold off until we had gotten some more sliding in! My wishes were granted! We and Anthony and Katie slid on Rusty's hood in the sod field by their house before going over to Ben's/Gerald's and sliding some more! Daniel thought we probably went about 40 mph on those hoods! I loved every second! It's hard to get too much speed! Twas also so novel to slide down the hill on Maynard's old-fashioned sled with metal runners! One more thing knocked off the ole bucket list! I also took my lime green Rubbermaid lid and pillow {it's really slippery!}, but it didn't work so well since you couldn't steer it... A few snowball fights ensued before everyone determined that the snow was too slushy to continue hood-sliding. I could leave happy and can now rest in peace that I have lived up these days of blizzard to the best of my abilities! My sore muscles aren't feeling so happy and peaceful though...I really should draw up another hot bath and take a long soak.... only a few more patches of sleet/snow have yet to melt....and then the magic of winter will be over...