Jeremiah's School of Levitation

I was going to rake the leaves, really. There was going to be a movement, a progression, a formal declaration of leaf war whereupon I was going to remove every leaf from the yard, with the scythe-like sweep of my mighty rake, I was going to rid the land, or at least my land, of some actually really beautiful orange and yellow patterned pieces of nature that I'll then stuff into a yard waste bin and shut the lid, the warm glow of fallen leaves in the filtered sun forever shut up in the dark, like crazy aunts.

Yeah, I was going to do that and, by golly, rotten luck, it snowed. It didn't just snow, but it rained snow. A gigantic snowball somewhere in heaven just blowed up real good and dumped, pumped, deposited, spammed, overloaded, dowsed, and embraced our fair Northwest town with white, marshmallow shards, ice twinkles, and little snowflake mermaids dancing in the dang streetlights (didn't I spray for little snowflake mermaids just last week?). Infested, I say!

It doesn't snow a whole lot down by the water here in the Great Northwest. We get the mountain snow, just about an hour or so away, so it's not like the sight of snow is so rare and weird that it makes us stand still and go "Duuuude," (though, to drive on our freeways in it, you would think so, as it seems to make people forget what order the pedals are in…). But, we are more used to waking up and finding puddles in our yards than we are to finding snow drifts, so it is kind of cool to see your yard in a different light, and to not go to work in conditions that some of the country operates normally in for three months out of the year.

And, the kids' voices get a little more electric, their faces a little more smiley. School gets shut down and they get revved up. They stand in the driveway and watch the flurries like they're watching a ballet performed entirely by pieces of candy.

We relish our little bit of snow, and, so do the muscles involved in pulling rakes across leaves, which, by the way, weren't hurting anybody anyway. Give 'em a break, not a rake! (Geez.)

It's beautiful isn't it? And we're all staying home today and nesting.

We flipped on football last night, Green Bay against Seattle, and I said as I sat down, watching the televised blizzard, "Oh, they must be playing in Green Bay?"

And then...shock!...Seattle?

I was jealous. OOOHHH, snow days kick so much work ass!

Jeremiah, your one line about snow candy reminds me of a line by ee cummings..."the moon rattles like a fragment of angry candy". Mmm...candy....

I'm actually a bit jealous myself. I'm up here in snow country and as yet have only had two light snows that melted almost right away. I want my snow banks. Of course, I'll be eagerly awaiting the melting in a few months and eating these words. I imagine they will taste good anyways. I love the dancing mermaids, its my favorite part of snow...don't you dare spray them!

down in the 'Couv we got a whole dusting and 2 hour late start for school was called. Worked out well because I got up LATE. Nice being at 300 ft above sea level.

And I didn't have to rake either. ;o)

Meno: ahhhh! We sledded all day, and though I had to chaperone, I also got to stand around and gaze a lot.

s: Reminds me of the time when we got about a half-inch and the neighbors broke out skis and skidded up and down the block. I be like "Is that the definition of Jonesin' or WHAT?".

Mona: Yep, that was Seattle. I phoned out-of-state friends and family, because, in a way, I was kind of proud.

Maggie: I actually love snow. I'm wishing for another foot of mermaids.

Emma: I was just down 'Couv way, visiting P'land. I forgot how much I loved it down there. Good eating down there. Did dim sum. Woo, boy.

Welcome to my world.

As for raking, leaf it for another day.