There SNOW End

My friend Ann sent me a note yesterday, wondering if there was school. 

She's almost 72, which means she's older than I.  

I like to remind her of that, and often!

Anyway, I wrote back and asked her if she was planning to go to work.

She wrote back and said she just likes to know these things. 

Like me, Ann is a retired educator. 

Have I mentioned before that retired educators like to know when school is called off???? 

Last night, after seeing an announcement about today's school closure from the district superintendent, I wrote Ann another note.  

"No school tomorrow," the email said. "You can sleep in." 

I'm sure Ann is slumbering like a baby, as I begin my blog this morning and while Bill's out there plowing.

He came inside after taking the dogs out for their morning duty, looking like an abominable snowman. 

"It's at least six inches," he reported, before getting fully dressed to spend some time on the tractor---for the second morning in a row. 

Yup, for sure, "there snow end" to this onslaught of make-up time for the Winter of 2019. 

And, the snow is supposed to fall all day and maybe into tomorrow. 

Talk about make-up work! 

In my teaching career, I don't recall very many students SO willing to make up for their missing assignments quite like Mother Nature is doing with this winter. 

Heck, I'll bet she's even trying for some extra credit!

At least this morning, it's a bit warmer. 

Over the past few days, we've also seen different versions of this weather, sometimes cold, sometimes windy, sometimes ugh gray, sometimes so stunningly beautiful that it's downright jaw dropping. 

We've also seen the side effects, many of which in the past couple of days have been very, very sad. 

Even sadness brings on its own side effects. 


I've thought it many, many times in my life and maybe even said it a time or two----there is something in the water or in  the soil or in the air around our community, something so powerful it's downright inexplicable. 

That something comes out of the woodwork pretty much any time it's needed.  

There's no real name for that special something.  

It's a blend of human compassion, caring, generosity and, yes, in this Valentine's Week the truest love ever imagined. 

All were evident in my travels and observations yesterday with trying moments at both a family level and communitywide. 

When the going gets tough, the soldiers of caring show up for duty, offering and practicing everything possible to lighten the load for those in pain. 

It's intangible, for sure, but we proud locals, who have spent a lifetime here, know that, like the punishing winter weather of this past week, "there snow end" to what this community does for its own.  

And, that is a good thing.   

Happy Tuesday. 

Soldier on!