FEBRUARY 18, 2010 ISSUE
Cabin Fever Blues
We asked our fans... What have you been doing to pass the wintery episode?
As of this Thursday, February 18, snow has been on the ground in the High Country for two whole months. Since the holiday break, local students have spent more time at home than in the classroom.
So, while the weather outside has been frightful, has life indoors been delightful? We asked our readers and Facebook friends to share anecdotes of what they have done to pass the time while snowed in.
To join the High Country Press Facebook discussion, click to www.facebook.com/highcountrypress and become a fan.
—M. R.
We live on a huge hill so naturally we sledded and snowboarded down the hill for hours every day. We also had “home school” with the kids since the county schools were closed—reading, writing, math, even science experiments (made a volcano erupt and made homemade cheese!)
—U. S.
I have spent most of the storm days manning (or womaning) the phones listening to people desperate for snow removal from roads and driveways. I have kept the home fires burning, digging wood out of snow to keep the woodstove fed. It has been voracious, needing fed every two hours or so.
Between snows I fill the bird feeders to keep the squirrels and birds from starving in the cold. In return I see a wide variety of birds from woodpeckers to chickadees, nuthatches and even the occasional dove. The birds and squirrels provide hours of entertainment for the cats who won’t set foot outside in the snow.
My husband on the other hand, has been out almost daily from around 4:00 a.m. until 8:00 or 9:00 at night. He not only plows but spreads salt to keep parking lots ice free. He also works on his equipment outside in the worst of the cold and wind. Snow plowing is hard on the equipment and the people that plow. He doesn’t have an indoor location to work or keep the equipment so the cold has taken its toll on it, freezing the plow so it won’t go up or down.
I still love the beauty and tranquility of the snow. But it is only tranquil if you don’t need to go anywhere and can enjoy it from inside or you can play in it. The winter of 2010 is one for the record books and memories.
—A. O.
I played lots of board games! Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and Balderdash...and MarioKart on Wii.
—A. O.
Also, after the first big snow, we built a four-foot-tall igloo. But the snow was really dry and powdery, so it wouldn’t pack—it took us four hours to build the thing!
—A. S.
Baked wheat bread, Heath Bar Cookies, etc. Lots of baking, and the rest.... well, I don’t think you can print that. LOL
—T. B.
Somehow I think there is going to be a baby boom in December!
—B. B.
Worked on my taxes, a chore I usually put-off until April, and filled out the application for a new passport. Key West might not be far enough South!
—D. E.
Worked like a dog to keep the roads open!
—N. G.
Streamed Netflix movies.
—C.C.
I got a Kindle for Christmas. It came quite in handy as I have been stuck in the house for weeks! I’m catching up on reading, though.
—P.C.
Spent plenty of time dreaming up ideas for snow creations—how about using all this snow to build the world’s largest snowman and then submitting it for a World Record?
—M.G.
I built a snowboard jump in my backyard on a one-acre sweeping downhill. As many times as we have sledded on it, it now looks like a luge course. It’s still there.
—A.S.
I started a new musical group, played with my organ.
—B.C.
I want this snow to stop and schools to open again. I’ve been stuck in my house with my kids for what seems like two years! Help!
—P.G.
Believe it or not I’ve been going through seed catalogs and planning my summer garden.
—E.E.
I wrote letters for the first time in years and years. I actually used a pen and paper.
—S.H.
Rubik’s Cubes, walking the dogs (a lot), played Rummy (a lot), drank.
—P.W.
Looked into my honeymoon.
—D.A.
Played Farmville nonstop.
—A.M.
I organized my entire house. Twice.
—J.U.
I used all of my cell phone minutes.
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