woo-hoo, snow

Yesterday we got 2.25" of snow at my house between 8 AM and 2 PM.

Another half-inch fell by the time I took a core and melted it; 0.38" of melt from 2.8" of snow. That's pretty heavy and wet. I made a snowman yesterday morning since the snow was ideal for it.

Rocko didn't know what I was doing at first. I was bent over, rolling an increasingly enormous snowball around, peeling the snow right down to the grass. Once in a while I'd stop and smooth down the sphere, making it more round. Rocko just got more excited.

When the ball reached about 20" in diameter I paused to rest. Rocko started charging at the ball, grinning maniacally, tongue flapping as he ran. Over and over he made his passes, "counting coup" with his shoulder time and again like warrior on a horse, until he killed the snowball. It broke into several large pieces from the repeated strikes.

I took the largest fragment and started rolling again. This time I made it a little bit smaller than last time and set it up in the front yard. I warned Rocko off and made two more balls, each a little smaller than the last.

With bits of tree bark for eyes, a twig for a stern mouth, sculpted nose & goatee, and sticks for arms, he's still standing out there, gesturing to whomever stops to "get outta here!" (Either that, or "they went thataway!")

I christened him "the ghost of Pasco da Gama, the little-known brother of explorer Vasco da Gama" and came up with a quick character history: "he made it all the way to and over the Blue Ridge but was killed by the Cherokee during a harsh winter here in Cruso and now haunts the snows near Cold Mountain." Works for me.

The snow was wet when it fell yesterday, the temperature having risen to just about freezing as the precipitation began. It froze to the tree branches and is still there. Everything is white, the field below me and every tree on every mountain around me. It's wonderful. More snow is forecast, especially tomorrow. And since tonight is my Friday, it can snow all it wants.