sNOw

Portland doesn't quite understand the concept of winter.  And I don't quite understand that.

I grew up in Montana where we used to build snow tunnels in the back yard with ease.  Plugging in our cars at night was normal.  (I already lost some of you, didn't I?)  Subzero temperatures, sledding and snowmen were just a part of this season we call winter.
I moved to Colorado after high school.  As you may know, Colorado embraces winter as well.  I have fond memories of blizzards and snowy outdoor recreation.
Before Oregon, I also lived in Chicago.  Snowy? Yep.  Cold? Um, yeah.  Winter? Absolutely.

Nevermind all the other moving around I did...
I ended up here in Portland, Oregon.  The land of no winter. 
I remember reading somewhere that the average annual snowfall here is less than 6 inches AND that the record low was 5 degrees.  To me, this is crazy. Oh and don't be deceived by six inches.  It basically turns to water the moment it hits the ground.

Perhaps I haven't expressed the fact that I love winter.  Or maybe its more that I love experiencing true seasons.  There is something about everything going dormant while a white blankets the earth and then a bursting out with new life in the spring that just gets me.  I love it.

And this brings me to my recent heartbreak.  It was supposed to snow.  And it did...a little bit here and there.  But then it was really supposed to snow.  All night and then heavy in the morning.  I had a hard time going to sleep as the snow glow brightened the sky and I dreamed of sledding and frosty photos.  My alarm woke me up early (I told you...I was excited), but before I could look outside, I heard it.
Raindrops.

That BIG northwest storm that plastered the news for several days??  Yeah, Portland didn't get that.

After I watched the weather channel lustfully for an hour, I got to thinking about my cold attitude.  I love living where I do.  I hardly ever have to deal with icy roads.  I rarely feel the need to bundle up.  And even as I write this I marvel at the mild January day filled with green grass and sunshine.  I really can't complain much about all that.

But once, just once (each year), I'd love to break out a sled in this winterforsaken town and experience some true snowy glee!