There was probably only about a half inch of snow, even though it seemed to be falling all day yesterday. I’m sure most of it melted; I think it was above freezing most of the day.

I haven’t been outside since I arrived at work this morning, but still, it’s a bit chilly indoors. After lunch, I decided in keeping with the snowy weather, I’d go get a cup of hot chocolate to help warm me up.

My warm chocolaty beverage brought me back to my childhood. It reminded me of coming inside after building a snowman or having a snowball war across the driveway with my brother.

Yum!

It shouldn’t amount to much, 1-3 inches, but I’m glad I had already decided to stay in and clean and catch up on recorded TV shows rather than go shopping today.

Despite the fact that snow isn’t really rare here — we usually get several storms depositing at least a few inches every winter — people really don’t handle it well.

Streets aren’t cleared efficiently (I live on a cul-de-sac, so we are low on the priority list), people don’t drive well, and school officials freak out and sometimes close schools the night before when snow is predicted overnight!

It was slightly snowier where I grew up (but, still not very bad), but I did spend four years at a college in Western New York — an hour and a half south of Buffalo. It would not be uncommon to have a foot of snow or more on the ground for most of the winter. They get a ton of snow, but they know how to handle it. I’m glad I got experience driving in it, so I don’t add to the chaos around here!

Spring came late to my college town. One year was a bit extreme, there were snow flurries the night before my husband’s graduation, in mid May! (we met in college, he was a year ahead of me)

Where I live now, 300+ miles south, sometimes May is already summerlike. After I graduated, I drove straight from college to my then-apartment in another Maryland town. I got to see the seasons change from barely a hint of spring to summer during my six-hour drive.

I much prefer warmer weather, but I think I might miss it if I lived in a snow-free climate. Besides, taking a Caribbean vacation is much more of a treat when we get to leave freezing temperatures behind!

“There might be some critters down there.”

— Quote from campus security director

My sophomore year of college, I wrote an article for the school newspaper about underground tunnels on campus. They were for phone lines and electrical wires, but students had a history of breaking into them and snooping around.

I was reminded of that quote (and dug up my old copy of the article) because last night my neighbor was telling us it sounds like there is something living in his attic. He’s pretty sure it’s not a mouse or a squirrel. They hear it moving around. He thinks it’s a raccoon, but hasn’t done anything about it yet.

Hopefully our freaked-out reactions have encouraged him to call an exterminator!

Later on, after our neighbor had gone home …

“Dude, if there was a raccoon in our attic, I’d be outta here!”
— Quote from my husband