Dishing with Di: Snow Days!

Depending on your age, station in life, and where you live, a snowy day means different things.

As a kid, seeing those fat fluffy flakes falling to earth means snow angels, snow balls, snowmen.  For some it could be a sled, a toboggan, skiing.  Possibly, a day without school.  The down side to this, too many snow days and those happy kids make up for the lost days in the end.

A good portion of the USA deals with snow and ice every winter and is well prepared for all that entails.  Then there is the south and left coast, who rarely see it, aren’t sure what to do with it, and tend to make a mess of things.

I fall in the middle.  The first eight years of my life were spent in the East.  As a six year old I remember building an igloo in my backyard with a neighbor kid.  Growing up in southern California the only snow seen was on the surrounding mountains.  Home, for the majority of my life, is southern Oregon where not only is there snow on the surrounding mountains, it’s common for it to fall on the valley floor.  Even then, snow is fleeting.  Being back in Maine I enjoy the pretty snowfalls of fat flakes, seeing the piles add up.  I’m also very thankful for a cousin with a snow blower and the plowmen who sand the roads.

For the average worker snow means clearing off the car, the driveway, the walk, and hoping there’s a snow plow around to make the roads safer.  Adding to the daily commute is snarled traffic and slippery roads.  Mainers pretty much take it in stride.  In Oregon, some of us would call in late to work, or ask to leave early.  My daughter would opt to work from home.Once retirement comes, you adjust your schedule to the weather.  Oh, it’s snowing.  Let me get a cup of coffee and watch out the window.  Best of all, seldom do retirees have to make up for a snow day.

           

For a writer, a snow day opens a world of possibilities.  I’ve used being snowed in in a number of my books.  What better way to get your hero and heroine together, alone?  Or, to have a character lost in a snow storm.  One of my favorites is, I’m “stuck” inside so I’ll write.  This means staring at a computer screen rather than out the window, but the results can pile up just as fast.

Next snow day, make yourself a hot drink, sit near a window, and enjoy the sight.  By next winter I’ll once again be a West Coaster.  Chances are I’ll view snow falling in a new light.  And fog will be what keeps me inside, fingers on the keyboard!

**To keep up with Di’s doings in Maine and her upcoming adventures back in Oregon visit Di’s Maine Men on Facebook. To learn more about Di’s many novels–and obtain a copy of Innocent Sins recently released through Winged Publishing: Take Me Away–visit her Amazon author page.

Now, stay warm and…

Write on!