Snowman – Valerie's Voice

A Winter Morning

After the deep freeze last week, the temperatures climbed on Saturday and we were able to get outside to play.

The temperatures were just right for cross-country skiing in the morning at Riverbend Nature Center in Faribault, until late morning when the temperatures started rising and the snow was becoming sticky.

A beautiful morning for some cross-country skiing.

When we got home from skiing we thought would be a good time to build a snowman with the grandchildren. We were already in our winter gear, so we bundled up the grandkids and brought them outside to play in the snow, and to build a snowman…finally. They have been waiting and waiting for the “right” kind of snow to build one.

Building a snowman…grandkids with “grandma-papa.”

We brought out the scarf we had bought in anticipation of building a snowman, and used a carrot for his nose, rocks for his eyes, and branches for his arms and his smile.

Finally, a snowman…and we used the scarf we bought.

The kids were very excited to play in the snow, and we were very excited to play with them, and also cross-country ski.

It was a wonderful, winter morning.

Snow Angels

When our grandchildren moved to the Minnesota from Mozambique, Africa last month there was snow on the ground, thankfully. They were so excited to see snow. With our unusually warm January temperatures and no more snow fall since they arrived, I’m glad they had the chance to experience snow, even for a day. They made their first snow angels. I wrote the poem below, after our outing.

Snow angels
All bundled up
Almost unrecognizable
Skipping down the lane
Stopping to taste and see it is good
Noticing squirrels
And planes and dogs
Screaming with outdoor voices
Running, then stopping to fall in the snow
Beautiful snow angels
Disguised as grandchildren.

We are waiting for snow to make more snow angels, and a snowman! We have bought a scarf for the snowman. It is hanging on the coat tree…in anticipation. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

For Zoey

Zoey, our 4-year-old granddaughter, is moving from Africa to the USA soon, with her family. Her mom says she is excited to see snow in Minnesota. Here are a few photos from our recent snowstorm…for Zoey… and Ezra, her 2 1/2-year-old brother. We cannot wait to see you!

I’m always taking pictures of the cardinals in our yard.

The red cardinal on a fresh layer of snow.

The snow covered trees in our front yard.

Snow-covered evergreen boughs out on our deck.

Looking out at the snow from our kitchen window, through a green-glass star.

I have a fun story about an African snowman. Our daughter-in-love is a native of Mozambique, and we knew she had never experienced snow but was curious about snow. Before we left Minnesota, on one visit to Mozambique, I dug through my Christmas boxes and found a packet of “Real Fake Snow” (when water is added to this white powder an instant reaction is a white-snow like mixture). I tucked the packet into my suitcase. One evening, after a very hot day in Mozambique, we opened the packet and mixed up the “real fake snow”. It was fun to watch a snowman being built, in Africa!