I’m ready to go looking for that mangy groundhog that predicted an early spring, drag him out of his hole, and let him experience this wonderful snow we’re still getting pummeled with. Seems to me that since Groundhog’s Day when he didn’t see his shadow, we’ve had more snow than the rest of the winter months combined.
I think we set a record around here with 20 days of snow in a row. That was in February. Now we’re into March and a huge snowstorm is in progress. They predict that we may get up to 12 inches. Just what everyone wants this time of year when the majority of us have had enough of this white sh… I mean stuff, and want to see green grass again. Why is it that I never see a groundhog above ground during a snowstorm? Imagine they’re curled up all warm and cozy in their burrows below ground, dreaming of warm, sunny days, while we humanoids are shoveling and snowblowing our driveways, for the thousandth time this winter, and pushing cars that are stuck in snow drifts.
All this talk of snow makes me question the mental stability of my Norwegian ancestors who had this whole country to settle in and decided to stake their claim in the frozen tundra. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, since they arrived in this area during the summer or early fall when the countryside was warm, gorgeous, and must have looked like a paradise to them. I wonder if they had thoughts of returning to Norway after that first tough winter when temperatures plunged way below zero and the snow howled across the prairie? In their defense, they were used to snow and cold weather in Norway, but the mountainous, fjord area along the southwestern coast where my Sherpe and Ostrem ancestors lived, had milder weather because of their proximity to the North Sea.
I sure wish some of them had written down their experiences and thoughts about those days, but I suspect they were too busy trying to stay alive than worry about leaving their stories for later generations. Fortunately, Norwegian historians have recorded the history and stories that go back to some of my early ancestors so I have some idea of what they did and what life was like for them. As I watched the new Viking series on the History Channel on Sunday night, I wondered if my ancestor, Gaut på Ænes (Urnes) was as ruthless as the Viking Chieftain on the Viking show? Grandpa Gaut was a Viking Chieftain in the 1100s. Historians say he was from one of the most powerful families in Norway at the time, so I imagine ruthlessness went along with being powerful. That’s why this Viking series interests me. It gives me a glimpse into the historical roots of my ancestors, the good, bad, and the ugly. As they say, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.
I guess I better quit complaining and wimping about the winter weather, or my Viking ancestors will disown me. Think on the positive side, it’s better to have a lot of snow in March than in November. March snow will soon melt. November snow could be our companion for five months. Plus, this will make for some great snowshoeing and skiing until it melts.
Snow this time of year also makes for some great snowmen, snowforts, snowcaves, and tunnels. Over the weekend we went through Madison on our way to see our grandson, who is now crawling and pulling up on furniture. We did a drive-by of our old house in Madison, and snow was piled high on the curbs and in the yard. It reminded me of when Erik and Amy, along with neighborhood friends, would build snowforts with connecting trenches and tunnels. They had hours of fun building and playing in those structures and having snowball fights. One time I helped build a large Viking ship out of snow, complete with a Viking snowman in the boat. Those are things you can’t do if you don’t have lots of snow to work with.
If you get a lemon, make lemonade. If you get dumped on with a lot of snow, pretend you’re a kid again and help build a snowman or a snowcave. Or grab some snowshoes and explore the white wonderland around you. You’ll be surprised at all the things you discover that you never noticed before. If you take some trails through wooded areas you may even surprise a deer drinking in a creek or see a red fox searching for a meal against a white background of snow-covered evergreens.
In winter we need to get in touch with our inner child again and get out and enjoy the snow and explore nature. Remember what it was like when you were young and snow didn’t bother you? If snowmen and snowforts don’t interest you, make a snow angel or stomp down the snow in a large circle with connecting links and play fox and geese. Remember when you used to play that during recess in school? If you’re really adventurous, get your family together and build a Viking ship out of snow. All these activities make winter much more bearable until the groundhog’s prediction of an early spring finally arrives.
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