麻豆视频

Pro-no snow

By Lynne Bell

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听听听听听听听听听听听 As I write this, the sun is shining, the temperature is on the warm side of seasonal, but best of all, there is no snow!

听听听听听听听听听听听 When Kelly and I were divvying up this week's debate, I was a tad tempted to take the pro-snow side, just because it would make a snappy headine....However, after my impassioned defence of the benefits of winter tires in this space a few weeks ago, I realized I would: 1) Fool no one and 2) Not be able to to put forth a convincing argument in favour of the white stuff, anyway, as my heart just isn't in it.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Besides the benefits that a dry winter gives to those who must interact with moi-as my seasonal moaning and groaning and complaining and whining is drastically decreased-it is wonderful not to have to shovel snow, plough snow, drive in snow, walk in snow and otherwise have to deal with it. Life is much simpler, and although getting dressed for the day still means bundling up to stay warm, it's a lot less complicated when there's no snow.

听听听听听听听听听听听 I realize it's tough to give up the thrill of uncertainty: not knowing if you'll reach your driving destination on time (or intact), or whether your flight will proceed as planned, or even whether your walk home from work or school will result in cold, wet extremities if you happen to fall into a pile of the white stuff, but c'mon....

听听听听听听听听听听听 Some people say that it doesn't seem like Christmas without snow and request at minimum a听 decorative cosmetic dusting on their windows and trees. Well, there are products that will perfectly replicate that seasonal scenario: May I suggest snow in a spray can and pine-scented candles? And these work especially well if you decide to take full advantage of the snowless season (I can dream, can't I?), as you check your Christmas bird on the barbeque.

听听听听听听听听听听听 As I was rejoicing in our unseasonal seasonal weather, a guy in town told me he wanted to snowmobile, and was getting anxious that this winter was not only turning into a snowless season, but a sledless one, too.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Unfortunately, for me, I think he can relax. Time is on his side, as the seasonal odds are that we will eventually get some snow in these parts and it will stick around for a while.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Until then, excuse me while I enjoy being pro no snow...and that's a pretty catchy headline, too.

听 听 听 听 听 听Snow: a pleasant part of winter

By Kelly Running

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听听听听听听听听听听听 Snow. In Canada we embrace it, I know I'd rather have snow than a -40 day without windchill... even colder with.

听听听听听听听听听听听 There are numerous things the snow enables us to enjoy. There's something about having snow during the holiday season that just seems right. I was in Australia once for Christmas and besides missing my immediate family, I missed snow. Surprising I know, but I had been in Australia since September and it was heading into their summer, which just seems odd, Christmas in the summer.

听听听听听听听听听听听 I missed the snow falling, iced over windows of home while sitting inside with a cup of hot chocolate or tea, lights sparkling off the ice and snow. There's something beautiful about that scenario, which isn't complete without the winter wonderland that includes the snow.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Snow brings with it a lot of fun as well. Yes shovelling a walkway, driveway, deck, or other isn't fun and scraping my windshield in the morning is less than desirable, but the fluffy white stuff is at least easily brushed away.

听听听听听听听听听听听 The fun I'm talking about is snow shoeing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing/snowboarding, and tobogganing. These are all fun winter activities which we couldn't do without snow.

听听听听听听听听听听听 When I was little, with fresh snow, my sister and I would go out and play tag. I can't remember the name of what our mom called it now, but you'd shuffle through making a circle and then various pathways throughout the circle. You had to stay on the path when playing and if you stepped off you became 鈥渋t.鈥� I was 鈥渋t鈥� a lot, my sister was three-years-older so was quite a bit faster than me. Our dog would join in the frolicking as well and as she'd tear about the front yard the path would disappear.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Snowmobiling is another fun winter activity which would definitely lose it's appeal without snow. Zipping to and fro, climbing large hills, and the thrill of coming down those hills, or speeding up a hill with an overhang to which you fly through snow all around you. It was quite a bit of fun heading out with dad after a fresh snowfall.

听听听听听听听听听听听 During elementary school and high school, a dump of snow was also welcomed in the night as we lived a half an hour from town. If the bus couldn't make it down the road then we got a snow day out of the deal and even though that usually came with some household chores and helping collect wood to bring in for our fireplace downstairs, it was a welcomed change to going to school, even though I quite liked school.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Even in university my friends and I would make the most of the snow. We bought crazy carpets and would head off to a place the locals called the sugar bowl during the day, the young kids who frequented the area were off at school, so we got to enjoy the place to ourselves, zipping down the runs the kids had made, jumps included. It was a great way to spend a bit of time and an easy way to take a break from worrying about school, which was our main concern.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Snow therefore became a welcomed sight even in university.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Besides all of the fun things snow does, snow was always welcomed in the winter with the hope that it would melt slowly in the spring; that the runoff would manage to seep into the ground to make for perfect spring seeding. Although the runoff was never perfect, there were always worries those years we didn't have any snow that the soil would be dry and our crops might not be the fullest.

听 听 听 听 听 听听So, snow is good. It comes with all kinds of fun outdoor activities and provides an essential piece to the prairie environment.听