Life is far from over up North

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

C 'mon Low_Budget, enlighten us southern boyz on the fine art of fighting boredoom while the water is in solid form.

Well,...it's like this.

A few of the southern folk seem to think life is over up north. Not the case.

Let me start by saying I have traveled to 27 countries, lived in Bermuda, lake Tahoe, Vt,RI, and Hawaii. I would chose to live in New England personally, hands down, but I had to travel around the world first to realize this.

WHY? simple. 4 seasons. Not 2, or even 1, but 4.

Raul, kieth, etc,..you guys make comments like you are rubbing it in that winter is here. For some reason, you think we are unfortunate. Not the case

There is nothing more beautiful than waking up to a snow covered world, except perhaps getting out in it and taking as walk.

especially if you are a kid and the radio is saying "no school for Providence, warwick, cranston, newport," etc etc etc,

I pity anyone who never experienced a "snow day". This goes for the adults too. Garages get their wood stoves fired up, ski-mobiles and quads are everywhere and neighbors meet up for hot chocolate, fresh pies, and often times, a few beers around the wood stove with a bottle of schnapps making it's way around.

Sledding---it's not just for kids

snow-ball fights

snow mobiling

hay rides and sleigh rides

skitchin' is a blast although not recommended

skiing

shoveling out an elderly neighbor,...always rewarding and usually good for a shot of whisky after and a pie the next day.

the list of fun things to do in the winter could go on and on, only limited by your imagination.

1 season,...would drive me nuts. I would surely be burnt on fishing. Winter gives me the break I personaly need. When spring rolls around again, we get a new excitement that you guys miss out on, same goes for the first snow.

Xmas in a warm place would seem totally foreign to me.

Winter in New England, It's a great thing. Don't be misled by the haters, jealousy can have people commenting on things they have no clue about.

Keith, you are a photographer, winter was made for black and white photos. You'll never get pics like this in Fla., or Mexico.

[cart7t]

I'm not a 1 season person either but.........

Snow and ice suck.

I'm ready to move further south. I still need the trees to turn in the fall but I want as little white stuff as possible.

[MALTESE FALCON]

VERY COOL POST RUSS,

I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE FROM THE NORTH TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE SOMETIMES MIGHT TAKE FOR GRANTED.

WINTER DOES HAVE A BEAUTY THAT WORDS CAN'T ALWAYS DESCRIBE. THOSE ARE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES.

I'VE LIVED IN MICHIGAN ALL MY LIFE AND THIS IS WHERE I'LL STAY. I MIGHT HAVE TO MOVE TO A WARMER CLIMATE FOR PARTS OF THE WINTER DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES, BUT I CAN'T LEAVE PERMANENT.

YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE SPECIAL EXCITEMENT IN THE SPRING. AT FIFTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD I STILL CAN'T SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FIRST FISHING OUTING.

MAYBE SOME DAY THEY WILL UNDERSTAND.

FALCON

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I can see how health issues could certainly factor in, don't get me wrong. Age also, "getting around" can be treacherous at times, But as long as I am healthy and hearty, I'm stayin' put!

Everybody loves where they are from I guess. I think we all need to step back and realize we are debating over who has a better world when we both have people in our own neighborhoods that won't be having a thanksgiving dinner, as I know it, today.

But still,...on a lighter note,....North is better. lol

[jb_from_texas]

we in the South dont get tat kinda snow but we do get it.  i was snowed out of school with snow deep enough to "ski" behind a 4x4 down the street (no hills in lubbock)

heck, it snowed in central florida yesterday.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

There ya go.  when I was in Breckenridge,Co., they have a winter festival and they drag you behind a horse with rope and skis, somthing I would expect to see in Texas with snow on the ground!  For some reason, I'm also picturing the driver firing a colt revolver into the air and screaming somthing about the local football team that ends in "till the day I die"!!

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Ever been within a mile of a sugar shack when they are boiling down the raw sap for maple syrup?  

Awwww maaaan,.....lip smackin'

One of the numerous scents of fall.  Dead leaves, oak burning in a fireplace or woodstove permeates the neighborhoods....

[BucketmouthAngler13]

One thing i hate is a mild winter. IMHO, this winter is gunna be a doozy.

Sledding and snowballing are grand fun. and shoveling driveways is a  good way to get some funds to feed the baitmonkey come spring time.

Building huge snow forts and preparing for a big snowball battle is the best though.

Capture-the-flag is at its best during a snowball fight. Every year my family has our "anual snowball war" We invite all the local peoples for the biggest war in town. 2 years ago me and my brother got up at 5am to start building forts. we usualy have 10-15 people on each team. The snowballs fly for hours, then when the smoke has cleared, we all head inside for hot chocolate and sugar cookies. Yum.

I live in a small town (pop 2000) and when we get a big snowstorm the whole town closes down. Every shop exept a few chain bussinesses.

All the folks go around making merry and having fun in the white world. They dont even plow most of the roads. (our towns only plow is a pick up with a plow attached) You can see quads running up and down Main Street, dragging sleds full of people. Fun stuff.

[fishbear]

LBH,

I could not agree more with you.  I miss my winters from the north.  I miss having a White Christmas or a White Halloween for that matter, certain years...

I grew up in Montana, so I was used to the snow, and temps down to 20 below.  

As for your reasons, the one I remember the best, is sitting around the wood stove, drinking hot chocolate, coffee or adult beverages, and listening to everyone laughing,  telling stories, and making plans for spring.

Heck, one of my cousins met his future wife sitting around a woodstove like that...

I have a buddy in Montana, that rides his snowmobile to work everyday during the winter... about 4 miles.   Now that is cool....  He has a little sled he pulls behind in case his wife calls and asks him to pick up some things at the store....

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

We had a shack like that at my great uncles pond.  Rickety old thing with benches for putting your ice skates on and a wood stove for heat and to boil the water for hot chocolate.  This particular pond was very wind ridden and never froze smooth, always ripply.  Hard to believe I still have teeth after skating there for so many years in my youth.

You brought back a very cool memory, thanks!

Pond skating

[RiskKid.]

I love the four seasons too....Tennessee is not quite the winter wonderland like New England but we do get some snow and winter weather. I love winter hiking in the mountains and hills of Tennessee. With the leaves off the trees the views are spectacular. Nothings better than a light dusting of snow on the tree branches and Mountain Laurel while on an early morning hike.

Oh and theres always the hot cider with that famous Tennessee resident Jack Daniels...........country ham biscuits from a country market on the way to the trail......

It's all good...........everywhere we go in this great country has it's own charm....

What a great day to reflect on that and be grateful for the diverse natural wonders we have in this great land of ours!

[Cigarlover 1]

Excellent posts. I have only lived up here for 2 yrs but have to say the winters don't bother me at all. With the exception of being so far away from family of course. Like Russ said there's nothing like waking up in the morning to snow. The first year my wife and I moved up here we got 24 inches of snow overnight and it was awesome. I'm 30 yrs old and love to play in the snow. It's even better if you have dogs that love the snow. It's interesting because I grew up in KY and remember it getting cold and snowing when I was a kid but for about the past 10 yrs the winters have been really mild. It seems the climate has changed. It's cool to get snow covered winters again.

This is kind of off topic but with the bad winters the summers up here are awesome. The one thing I will never miss about the south is the humidity. Sweating at 7a.m. is not my thing. I'll take the cold and snow in the winter in exchange for all the heat and humidity in the summer and day.

[Guest avid]

shoveling out an elderly neighbor,...

You really are a good neighbor.  Down in Florida we use Laxatives for that.  

[Raul]

shoveling out an elderly neighbor,...

You really are a good neighbor. Down in Florida we use Laxatives for that.

AVID !  

[Catt]

Cajun winters with its cloudy overcast day's northwest winds and a light mist in the air.

The sounds of low flying specklebelly geese, mud boats on the marsh, the wind whistling through the live oaks, and Cajun zydeco playing in the back ground

Aunt Edy's Seafood Gumbo beginning to boil, Candied Yams, Pecan Pie and uncle Chuck's Cajun burners firing Turkeys.

Tommy T. yelling Ma how y'all are? Get outta da rain; & Pull that chair up by the fire.

[JiggaMan512]

Avid that is HILARIOUS

hey LBH did you take all those pics?? if so, wow.

[BASS fisherman]

Great post LBH!  That first picture you posted is exactly what I remember when I think of a good snowfall, and walking in the woods.  It is so peacefull and serene.  You can scream to the top of your lungs, and it doesn't even ecko.  I love it!  

[Raul]

It is so peacefull and serene.........yeah, everything is peaceful and serene when your rear end begins to freeze.

Nah, you can never convince me, I 'm a warm loving critter; I even turned a good job opportunity ( 50 Can/hour for starters ) in a meat packing company in Canada. Better poor in the warm than rich in the friggin ' cold !

[BASS fisherman]

Speedbead said it best a while back, "You can put on more clothes when your cold, but when it's hot you can only take off so much before your naked."  Or something similar to that.  

[fishingrulz]

Winter is great. The best kind of snow days are the ones with a huge snow fall and no wind. Where you can go outside and really take it in without being slapped by wind and ice. I love it when you can go outside at night and look up and see that hot orange sky...that is awsome I can stare for hourse. Listening to the snow fall and looking up and just letting your mind goo for a little. Taking out your most worn down pair of sneakers and getting your buddies together and playing hockey in the street. That is so much fun! With all those cloths on it doesn't hurt to fall. I love the serenity of winter, how everything seems to just stop. Everything is hibernating and you can go outside and just hear nothing except that crystalized ice hitting the ground. Making huge snow forts and having block long snowball fights. 3 on 3. going on for hours. It really turns you into a little kid. Its just awsome. I can't really find the words. You can still fish too. Ice fishing is something I have never done...but I want to try. Reeling in fish on a 2 foot rod has to be awsome. Waking up and having your mom tell you your not going to school its just like someone lifted 300 pounds off your shoulders. I LOVE THAT! I always say I hate winter...but this post makes me see...it is a great season. Another plus for this year is they are building a Dick's 5 minutes from my house and its due to open over the winter! I can't wait to go! I'm gonna blow so much money its gonna be great!! ;D I love it!

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hey LBH you left out the #1 Reason winter rocks

it starts out like this " Baby its cold outside" then all we gotta do is pick it up from there

One more Log on the fire, Get under the blankets and smooch on the couch and this being a family site we will leave it at that it sure beats GET AWAY ITS TOO HOT AND STICKY

[DEISWERTH]

LBH  Well said!!!!

Doug

[Guest avid]

I hear you muddy man, but that's why God gave us Airconditioning  

[Bud]

I am sure glad you like winter for I don't.  Ky is to far north for me.  I don't even like going to the northern side of the county.

[K_Mac]

What a great post. When I read LBH's description of NE winters and the memories of youth, and see those fantastic black and white pictures I would really like to see NE in the winter. Then I read Catt's colorful description of Cajun country, and a big bowl of seafood gumbo by the fire, with zydeco playing in the background sounds very good. Riskkid's description of a winter outing in the Tennessee mountains makes me want to strap on a pair of hiking boots head for Chattanooga.

Here in the Midwest we have all four seasons and I enjoy them all. As I get older the winters do seem longer, and I love the re-birth of spring, but by the time fall rolls around the change is welcome. As Yakov Smirnov the great Russian philosopher might say, What a country!  8-)

Avid, the Florida Dept of tourism probably is not going to have you doing promotional work for them