I enjoy winter and snow, kind of

Marge and I've been watching the weather for Nebraska and it hasn't been pleasant the past couple weeks. My hometown of Arthur had 20 degrees the other morning with a feel like temp of 6 degrees. It's pretty early for snow but most of western Nebraska has gotten at least a little snow. Kind of early but not all that uncommon. A guy we used to work for said he'd seen it freeze every month in Nebraska except one and I kind of guessed it was July. I didn't ask but that would have been my guess.

I guess I've always enjoyed winter and snow. Looking back on the years we lived in Nebraska always seems to bring back good memories. There are times when it was entirely too cold and there was entirely too much snow and it wasn't all that fun. But for the most part I've enjoyed the winters and the snow.

January 1 came rolling around back in 1974 and Mick and I and Marge decided to go ice fishing. Thinking back it was probably Mick and I a lot more than Marge. There was probably 5 or 6 inches of snow on the ground so not really that much. So we took our Maverick Grabber car and went fishing up North of Arthur at Windmill Lake. We made it to the lake and went to catching fish. It had been cold so there was a lot of ice. Kind of a memorable time especially since three months later Marge delivered a healthy boy.

Don't know how we ended up with a set of wooden skis but we did somehow. So Mick and I conjured up some rigging to attach them to our overshoes and gave them a try. We never did figure out how to use them. I know if one isn't careful one will end up doing the splits. We finally gave up using them.

Normally when we had snow it was really cold. When the temp was down around zero or below zero and there was 6 or more inches of snow on the ground it was a perfect time to go see if I could call a coyote up using a rabbit call. Most of the time I'd put on a white pullover canvas parka so I could almost disappear. When I'd walk back to one of my favorite spots one could hear the snow squeaking it was so cold. Sometimes I'd get lucky and get a coyote. More times than not all I got was cold. Still had fun.

During the winter when there was snow on the ground jackrabbits would make paths traveling from up in the hills during the day to down in the valley during the night. It was during the night that they fed in the valleys. Dad showed me how to track jackrabbits, how he showed me how to track jackrabbits, how they make a unique kind of track. He showed me how they would jump from where they were running over a ways and then kind of hide. Had a blast tracking rabbits.

Growing up they almost never cancelled school. Snow and cold weather were pretty much a normal thing in the Sandhills. Dad hardly ever had a four wheel drive so many times he'd kind of break a path to the main road two miles west of our house with the tractor and then drive the two wheel pickup up to the road. We lived about four miles from our one room country school so it was pretty close. Hated to miss school. I guess I'm odd because I've always enjoyed school.

During the winter when it was cold enough we'd take our ice skates to school and then go ice skating during recess and lunch break. Had a blast. Always skated on the little pond of Trenaries. I remember one winter we saw a little bity bullhead frozen in the ice so we chipped the little bullhead out of the ice and let it warm up in a cup of water. Hard to believe but that little feller came back to life. Later that day we found a spot along the edge that was thawed out and turned him loose.

When it was cold and nasty out many times we'd lose power so we'd end up in the dark. But it never seemed like that big a deal. Mom was probably upset but she never let on about it. Knowing Dad he probably enjoyed it. Dad would break out the old lanterns and some of the candles. The kitchen stove was propane so no problem there. Front room heater was propane. Only thing was the blower didn't work but that was OK. And if all else fails just go to bed early. Once you crawled under one of the homemade quilts that weighed a ton didn't matter how cold it was you were warm.

Nasty weather meant we got to play games. Dad was really good at checkers so it wasn't that much fun. Always got beat. But we'd also play pitch or pinnacle or rummy. Also played a game with marbles on a kind of board shaped like a star. That was fun too.

Today if it's nasty outside or school is cancelled or it's just winter and there is snow on the ground chances are everyone will be focused on their cell phones or at least until the batteries are run down. I doubt they'll be playing board games or card games or fishing or sitting in a snow bank trying to sound like an injured jackrabbit.. Kind of sad. Next week most won't remember one single thing they saw on their cell phones or computer games. Memories last a lifetime.

I can still remember going ice fishing when I was little. Dad showed us we could lay down on the ice and look down the hole we had cut in the ice. If one covers up his head and the hole with a tarp one can see down to the bottom of the lake. We could see the fish come up to the minnows and eat them and the hook.

Winter is just starting so now is the time to make this a winter to remember. I saw an article the other day that said the Northern Lights would be way better than normal this winter and even more visible. Plan a bon fire and hot dog and smores roast. Shut down the cell phones and computer and make some lifetime memories.

Memories!