We also didn't do much in the snow aside from going to school and letting other people drive us around in it. It was fun to watch the cars slide around sideways. What's the big deal? Snow with friends? Lots of fun! For parents scraping and heating up their cars - not so much.
I walked a few miles a day in snow or shine to school. I did that because I hated riding the bus. It also gave me time to think about stuff and get myself ready for the day. Sometimes I'd walk with friends, but mostly it was by myself. Not everyone thought it was a good idea. My dad especially thought I didn't bundle up nearly enough. Truth be told, if you walk a couple of miles to school, you're pretty warmed up by the time you get there. He wouldn't hear of it. He wanted heavier jackets and scarves and all that. Of course I didn't. I was perfectly fine. I wore my gloves and my hat and a jacket and that was all I needed. The only time it was a concern was when it was dark out - night out - in the early morning with snow falling and ice on the ground. Then you could seriously bust your butt. I never hurt myself doing it, though I do remember my dad threatening to show me real pictures of what happens to folks with frost bite!! I was like, I'm not out in it that long...and I'm like walking the entire time...and I'd hope one of the passing folk or cars or buses would stop and help if I was down that hard somewhere along the route. Of course he meant well, and what else are you going to do when your kid stops riding the bus that comes by right out side the door and walks four miles up and back to school a day.
Snow was also cool downtown. There was nothing like the big city downtown in Dayton. Everything there was huge with tons of cars and tons of people and snow made getting there fairly exciting. We never had an accident but there was a fairly scary time of driving in an ice storm that was covering the car faster than the wipers could get it off and the time when we literally could not drive up the icy hill of the drive way to the garage.
I can say we were in a blizzard. What did that mean to me? Almost two weeks off from school!!! Woo Hoo!!! For all those that had to drive in it...I'm sure that was some dangerous stuff. Nothing better though than listening to WING & Kirkie in the morning - Steve Kirk that is - telling us what schools were closed. It was either total elation, YES! YES!, or a total let down...all those schools closed and not us? With all the hills and small mountains in Ohio, you could be socked in here and over in the Miami valley near Cincinnati could be all clear.
At school, the cold meant recess huddling up in these huge concrete pipes strewn across the playground. They were your own personal forts and always good for much mischief. If it was too bad out, there would be recess in the classroom. All those kids playing records, dancing and stuff...it was really different from the Florida Schools. We were smarter coming into those schools, and naturally we were dumber when we came back, but I would say it was almost a toss up.
Ah snow. Everyone should have a chance to play in it at least once.
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