A Snow Day

 

 

Yesterday in the morning at 7:15, I was all dressed for school with lunch in tow when the phone rang. No one ever calls us that early, unless, I thought maybe it’s the school! Sure enough a robot voice relayed the no school message. I admit that even though the car was running and I had everything ready, I skipped with glee and kicked the snow playfully when I went to shut off the car. No School! This never happens here, even when it’s icy and the roads are questionable, school remains open. I guess the furnace was on the fritz, no heat.
It felt like a snow day for the snow was falling and we had several inches piled up. Huge loud orange plow trucks pushed on by as I wrote my Christmas cards at my dining room table. My cat Katie accompanied me, trying to claw the envelopes and I laughed because I could pull them away just in time.  Glancing out the window, I spied about twenty wild turkeys crossing the road into our yard. Thoughtfully, I placed a chair in front of a kitchen window so curious Smokey could watch them longingly.

 

I trudged out back to gather some firewood for our stove, for that’s how we heat our house. When I zipped around the corner I noticed fresh tracks in the snow going to a little woodpile near the house. I thought maybe they belonged to a squirrel or chipmunk. With an armful of logs, I suddenly saw a little white creature pop up from behind the wood pile. I could have missed it if I hadn’t been looking that way, for it blended in with the blanket of pearly snow.

 

Oh my gosh, it was so cute ! This little adorable face looked like a mouse or ferret but with a white long sleek body. It’s tail had a black tip. A mink? A weasel? I researched online and discovered that it was a long tailed weasel, known to live in northern regions and even in the Arctic.

 

He scurried and laid down a trail in the snow and didn’t even seem frightened of me. He romped in the snow here and there. What a blessing for my day because I’ve never seen one and it was so magical at that moment, while snow was falling. Even though Tom informed me that weasels can be vicious, I hope to see him again and wish him well during the cold days of winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My new friend’s tracks

 

 

 

Sentimental thoughts come to my mind when I think of snowdays. In previous years I loved announcing to the boys that there was no school. This day no one was here except my cats who I hugged and petted and talked to. Instead I sent a message to my son in college and he responded right away. It made me happy that we could still connect on a snow day and he will be home after his last final this Friday. He probably misses snow days too. Getting up late, a mug of hot chocolate and venturing out in the winter wonderland was his snow day itinery.
So my snow day was special and magical and unfortunately something had to happen to the school furnace but many teachers and children received a well needed day. Thank you God for the little miracles of the day, a precious gift in the hustle of the holidays!

 

 

All My Best,

Heart and Soul ☃️