The Big Snow

Poppy said the grey sky held a promise of snow. I was delighted as I welcomed snow as much as a prized visitor. We began to get our coal buckets and big shovels to go to the coal pile. I got there first as I could fill up a bucket very fast. Poppy said I was a strong girl. We put the 5 buckets of coal beside the hearth where a hungry fireplace was waiting. Our pot -belly stove in thekitchen needed firing up or our buckets of drinking water would freeze. As I got the last bucket I had to drag it in. I think that bucket weighed twice more than me. Poppy told us to look down the hollow. The snow had arrived and was coming down as the wind blew viciously. I loved snow and felt it was my best friend coming up the hollow. The snow kept falling and I got into my snowsuit and high-top boots. My sisters stayed closeto the fire, playing with their home-made cornsilk dolls and I opened the door to a whirlwind of white.The snow quickly got over my boots. I looked up and with my mouth opened wide I caught some snowflakes that melted on contact. I got me a big ole handful and ate it up. I would ask Poppy to make us some snow-cream..yummy. I laid down and made a big snow-anel and Charlie thought I was goin crazy and jumped right on top of me, pulling me and barking. He loved snow. He began to run around in circles.The snow was so bright as it glittered like diamonds and made my eyes water. The mountains were blanket in white as far as the eye could...so clean and untouched. Poppy was heading toward the barn and I quickly followed. We had to feed the animals before dark. They were standing warmly in the midst of straw, but they shivered when the wind blew inside. Once fed and watered Poppy and I headed back to the house. By now the smoke from the chimney was coming up and into the air. I couldn't wait to get inside the house. Poppy made us somehot apple cider and fried apple pies. He made the best pies in the valley. We always took plenty of these to school and the kids at school shared them too. We had gathered the apples in the fall and Poppy had dug an underground storage for our apples and potatoes and covered them with straw. And Poppy later made us some snow-cream-just sugar and vanilla...yummy. After thawin out I ask Poppy to help build a snow-man. Soon we were piling up mounds of snow and a big, fat snow-man was smiling at us with his coals for his teeth and a pipe in his mouth and a big black hat on his head, courtesy of "Poppy". My hands were freezing and my feet were cold.We went inside and warmed up while the blizzard continued and the house actually cracked a little when the wind whipped through. Poppy got out the heavy wool quilts. We had made them in the fall. Every color and design of material was in those quilts, even Poppy's old coat and my sister's old dresses. I even saw my old socks too. How warm they were as we snuggled up that night as the fire flickered accross the room. Charlie was asleep at the foot of the bed. The snow was packing up to the windows as I had to get back up to get a drink of water. And the room was warm as toast as I jumped back under the covers...........I was happy and warm and safe as the snow continued........................... Get your warm blanket, Readers as I too feel a shiver......................................The Adventerous Irene