If you scroll down this page a bit, you’ll see a whimsical post about Las Vegas and the rest of Nevada. Timely given a rare snow in Las Vegas just a few days ago.
I moved to Colorado this summer after living in a tropical climate for 22 years. Yes, you read that right. Twenty-two years. And I am never going back to the tropics. I have sweated my last day in humid 92-degree weather. Give me snow, and snow and more snow. I guess I would never have made it as a Nephite or a Lamanite.
Today a quick storm came through my small town in Colorado and dumped an inch of snow in about a half-hour. I was worried because the snow from five days ago was starting to melt slightly. I say slightly because it was 18 below (F) at my house Monday morning, and it got up to a balmy 5 below at midday before getting back below 10 degress below again overnight Tuesday. Since then, it’s been quite warm: 10 degrees F at night and 25 F during the day.
I got on the phone with some of my colleagues from Latin America and told them it got down to minus 28 degrees C recently, and they gasped and were literally speechless. After about 10 seconds, they said, “you moved from Miami for THAT!” And I laughed and told them I was loving it.
Today we had snow that looked like cat litter. A few days ago we had snow with small, pretty flakes. It’s all good — it’s white and covers everything in our yard. My horse shivered when it got to 18 below but she has grown a nice winter coat and seems fine now as long as I feed her regularly. Our dog loves the snow and runs around in it for hours.
There must be something in the air, but right now I’m into change. In early August, it was above 90 degrees (but NOT HUMID) in my town for about two weeks in a row. And now in December it’s regularly below freezing. I just spent a half-hour shoveling the walk and chopping at the ice.
I’m sorry for all you hot weather lovers, but Christmas in the tropics is just wrong. Santa in a red suit when it’s 95 degrees and humid? Give me a break. It’s even worse in the southern hemisphere, where I lived for five of the last 22 years. Longer and hotter days during Christmas? Christmas lights on the palm trees? That’s just wrong, wrong, wrong.
So, among the many things I am thankful for this Christmas season, I would like to state that I am thankful for snow. I am thankful for crisp days when you can see your breath. I am thankful for being able to wear sweaters and heavy coats. I am thankful for seeing the white hills march away like white elephants (thank you, Ernest Hemingway) to the Rockies. Bless us all, every one.