Winter––Fun Times!

Winter–– Fun Times !

List activities done in snow or on the ice. By themselves they don’t imply fun unless you have experienced them. Seeing high energy and hearing laughter associated with building a snowman, going for a sleigh ride or hay ride, snowballing, skating or playing hockey brings fun to life.

In my novel, Baggage burdens. many times memories of winter fun are relived. In reviewing those enjoyable times I’m reminded of the yeast that made them so special. Before you finish reading the selected passages see if you too can identify that special ingredient that makes winter activities memorable.

Past Christmases surface: Joseph’s invitation to go out for a sleigh ride with Daniel and to cut down a Christmas tree, hot apple cider, reading the Christmas story from one of the Gospels. “Hey, Dad. Can we get our Christmas tree this afternoon?”

Her response, “I’m not tramping around in deep snow. It’s too cold."

Jill evaluates her response. Daniel loved it. It’s like he and his father shared a special mission. It really seemed to bring them together. Maybe I should have gone.

As Joseph finishes cleaning his paintbrushes, Daniel’s excited voice rings out. “Dad, can we have these? He holds a box of empty soup and vegetable cans, which Joseph labels for storing nails and screws.

“What for?”

“Target practice.”

“Target practice?”

“Yes. I’ll set them up on the planter wall and see if I can hit them with the snowball.”

“Bring ’em back when you’re finished.”

Daniel grabs the overflowing cardboard box. Two spill out, but Amber picks them up and dutifully follows her brother outside.

When Joseph comes out to admire their snowman, he hears Amber and Daniel cheering. She replaces the two cans on the flowerbed wall. Then Daniel hurls five snowballs. Three cans fall. They cheer.

“Let’s see your snowman.” Joseph’s announcement sends them running.

The sleeves of Joseph’s old summer jacket hang from the snowman’s poplar branch arms. A large stone from the driveway represents his nose. Joseph guesses the twigs pressed into the snowman’s head in straight lines represent the winter creature’s hair. Its head tilts, looking like it will roll off any second. Joseph straightens it. Amber picks two stones that fell, the snowman’s eyes. Joseph lifts her so she can replace them. Amber reaches up for Joseph’s cap and places it on top of the snowman’s hair. Her pleased smile lights Joseph’s face too.

Jill had hoped that Joseph’s proposal for a skating rink for the family would bring them closer together. He always cleared the snow from the nearby pond and pumped water from beneath to flood the surface. The whole family bought skates. Benches were set out off to one side so they could rest and roast wieners. Many times Daniel helped his father shovel the snow off the rink. 

At first the family skated together. Then neighborhood boys heard about the rink. Many came to play hockey, even if they didn’t have skates. The following year, most of the boys brought skates. More and more, family skating gave way to hockey. The neighbors’ boys all came to their place even though other parents made rinks in their own yards.

Probably Joseph’s pizzas, guesses Jill. He made and served them after the kids finished their game. Playing hockey at their place became a tradition. For Daniel, Joseph was his hero. Daniel’s popularity in the school grew. Jill remembers teasing Joseph, saying he turned to making pizzas because he couldn’t keep up with the kids on the rink.

 “What about the rest of the story?” interrupts Eve. Before Daniel can start, she says, “Two years ago, a bunch of us from church got together for a New Year’s Eve party. Late in the afternoon, Martin Shopka hitched up a couple of horses and took us for a hayride. Someone pushed me off the wagon. Half-buried in fresh cold, powdery snow, I watched the wagon pull away.”

“Everybody was laughing so hard that Mr. Shopka didn’t hear her call,” says Daniel.

“So Daniel jumped off to help me,” cuts in Eve. “Another burst of laughter erupted from the wagon.”

“I think they thought I too was pushed off,” adds Daniel.

“Anyway, Daniel rescued me.”

“That’s when she kissed me,” explains Daniel. “We walked back to the church,” continues Daniel. “It really wasn’t that cold.”

“For the rest of the night, Daniel was the target of my affection. I thought I’d make some of the other guys jealous,” says Eve. “How was I to know that Daniel would take me seriously? After that, he never quit calling me. Eventually he convinced me he was worth hanging on to.” She looks at him and plants a kiss on his lips.

The essential element for enjoying winter activities is having human companionship. That even applies to the task of shoveling snow. It seems as one ages, the pleasures found in winter activities changes from fun to managing Old Man Winter’s challenges.

After the excitement dies down, Joseph announces, “Time for skating.”

The day before, Daniel and Joseph pumped water over a frozen pond. A heavy snow fell over night. Right after breakfast, Joseph and Daniel cleared the pond and set up some benches on the side.

Spurred by Joseph’s announcement, everyone crowds around the closet, dons heavy coats and boots, and disappears outside. Joseph, Scott, Thomas, and Pete grab the shovels and clear a path to the pond. As guests arrived to Amber’s party, so did an uninvited guest, a fresh covering of snow.

* * *

“It’s not cold, but boy, the snow's really coming down now,” says Pete. “Five inches has fallen since company arrived.”

“Joseph grabbed a shovel and plowed a narrow path. Then Pete and I followed. We angled our shovels and moved the snow to the side.”

“Like the graders clearing the main road,” adds Pete proudly. “The sidewalks by this apartment and the one next to us are done. With the three of us doing it, it took no time.”

haiku capsule:

building a snowman

skating, sleigh rides and hockey

melting winter’s grip

                   

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