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| Snow happens. |
When cold blows in from
Canada, pushed up by warm wind from Texas, snow happens suddenly and
furiously. Only older siblings, big
enough to sink only to the knee and then leap into the snow face first, could
rejoice.
For two small children,
enjoyment was peering out through icy panes and wishing. Mom…Mom…Mom…Can
we go outside, too? Mom? Mom? Mom relented only when Mom became unbearable.
Two and four years old,
Mary and Bill were wrapped, bundled, booted, and mittened, then given
instructions: Stay on the porch. Both
nodded solemnly.
Mom
stood at the kitchen door, staring through the lacy ice crystals at five
children enjoying the snow. Then Bill launched
off the porch into deep white sea. Bill,
she sighed.
Stomping out the door, Mom
grabbed him by scruff of his coat and pulled him up. Then Mary whispered, “Mommy! Mommy!
Look! Fire in trees! Fire in snow!”
Fire in the trees? In the snow?
She beheld glorious cardinals perched in bare trees. Fiery cardinals with black masks. Brave cardinals in frigid air.
Mom hollered, “You kids get
in here. Been out long enough!” But she continued to watch until fire became scarlet
birds winging over snowy horizons.
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| Fire in the Trees For those bloggers in the beginning of a long winter, this story is about the snow of 1958, which has been called the mini-ice age. Keep warm, enjoy the beauty as much as you are able, and Merry Christmas. |
haha can only do so much when the snow is taller than you.
ReplyDeleteNo making snowmen at that age.
DeleteThey do look bright enough to think of fire. My mom's most favorite bird in the world is a Cardinal.
ReplyDeleteMine, as well. No matter how old I grew, the sight of cardinals in the snmow would stop me while I watched them.
DeleteNothings more beautiful than red birds and red berries in the snow. Lovely story.
ReplyDeleteI have always wondered why cardinals stay when other birds go.
DeleteSeeing the beautiful cardinals in the snow is one of the only things that I enjoy about winter. My yard is full of these beautiful birds, however, it is an outstanding scene when the background is snow.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading your post, my mind went back many years ago when I was getting my kids dressed in all their snow gear only to have them tell me five minutes after they were dressed that they had to come in to go to the bathroom.
That is classic! And most frustrating.
DeleteWe have so many winter birds, and thank goodness the cardinals light up the snow.
ReplyDeleteThey do just that...light up the snow.
DeleteJealous thoughts. On both counts. Snow? Drool. Cardinals? More drool - which would probably turn to ice as I stayed and ogled.
ReplyDeleteWhile I envy the photos of your corallo (sp?).
DeleteBeautifully written Susan.
ReplyDeleteR
Thank you, Rick. Will you get a touch of snow this year?
DeleteDoes the appearance of the cardinals mean the air is too cold for the kids to be breathing? Or was there some other reason to hurry the kids inside?
ReplyDeleteI'm imagining the joy of jumping off a porch into knee deep soft snow.
When there is that much snow, we children needed to be out for short bits. We would get overly cold, not notice it.
DeleteThe appearance of cardinals was an extra treat for those who were inside for some reason. Cardinals were and still are beautiful as winter birds.
Lovely scene, I have never seen a cardinal during winter before, they are just lovely.
ReplyDelete