I do like snow

The photo at top shows the patio before it was shoveled on Jan. 2;
the shoveled version is above. It was a good cardio workout!

    A week ago I wrote about derechos, and how we Iowans had become experts in dealing with this. What would 2022 bring?

    It didn't take long to find out. We in Eastern Iowa endured a bunch of new snow, wind and the like. Winter clearly has arrived.

    About snow: I happen to like snow. What is a burden to many does have an "up" side, so to speak. 

    To wit:

    1. It's pretty. A lot of snow will cover the countryside in a sparkly, white blanket.

    2. Birds are easier to spot. You will understand this if you feed wild birds. Those cardinals, Blue Jays, juncos (a personal favorite) and finches have colorful feathers that contrast nicely with winter white.

    3. It provides a good work-out. Shoveling snow is good aerobic exercise for healthy individuals. 

    4. Snow was fun to play in, back in the day. Those of us originally from Minnesota know about playing in the snow -- making snow forts, having snowball fights, as well as skiing. Minnesota gets a whole lot more snow than Iowa does. 

    The temperatures are also lower up north; my sister said it was 55 below zero on Jan. 1, when our relatives happily attended the Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey event at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Hockey fans may know the St. Louis Blues beat the Minnesota Wild, 6-4. 

    According to CNN, this game was the coldest outdoor game in National Hockey League history.

    Snow is not so fun to drive in, and it also may become slippery. I went out walking Sunday afternoon and slipped a bit, here and there. The winter views made up for it!

    There's not much we can do about snow arriving in January. It's part of life and can be viewed negatively or positively.

    I'll take a positive view any day.

    No snow is in our immediate future, according to the National Weather Service online (weather.gov). Low temperatures are going to be in the subzero range in the near future, but we should reach a balmy high of 34 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, Jan. 4.