Headlines read: “Storms grip the Northeast!” and “Drivers crippled by storm-induced pile-up on the I-90. Some remain stranded over 13 hours.”
“Minus-28 degrees in Saranac Lake, and that’s not the wind chill!”
Brrrr! (We may as well be in Frostbite Falls, Minn., with Bullwinkle J. Moose.) So, there we have it, winter in the Northeast. It’s no surprise; it’s something we are used to seeing every year.
A few weeks ago, Paul’s niece and family came up from Georgia to visit and spend a few days skiing and snowboarding in Ellicottville. The older children ventured way out into the back field behind Paul’s childhood home, until late at night, building snow tunnels and forts. They donned their cold-weather gear and had a blast playing in the snow. The next day when they left for ski country, the weather turned warm and rainy, and their snow construction melted away. Fortunately, Ellicottville still had plenty of snow for them to play in once they arrived.
Die-hard hockey fans will be thrilled as the inclement weather is setting a perfect stage to pass the puck at the Labatt’s Pond Hockey tournament on the waterfront in Buffalo on Feb. 27 and 28.
Speaking of Puck, Paul and I found the performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Palace Theatre last weekend to be a fine way to beat the frigid cold. Most folks seemed to enjoy watching director Geoff Koplas’ rendition of Shakespeare’s classic play. Puck, the mischievous sprite, played by Stefan Brundage, was my favorite character. The play lasted nearly 2 1/2 hours and was wonderfully acted.
In Scene 1 of the last act, we found a bumbling troupe of actors rehearsing a play to be performed at the Duke of Athens’ wedding. That scene’s bawdy, Benny Hill-style version got plenty of chuckles from many of the men in the audience that we heard nary a peep from during the other scenes. The dusting of fairy dust that was sprinkled on the audience, at the end of the performance, was further enhanced by the whirring of glistening snow that fell, fairy-dust style on our frosty path on the way to the parking lot.
While walking up the sidewalk toward the cars in the parking lot, I overheard someone say, “It’s pretty.” Yes, it was pretty, but it was bitter cold outside and the snow was coming down quite steadily by then.
But on the plus side, the days when the sun shines on the bright, white snow make you realize that spring is just around the corner. I can feel it; as the days get longer, my energy level and spirits are beginning to soar.
My African violets are starting to bloom, and I just bought two potted Norfolk Island pine trees that were discounted after Christmas at Home Depot. They looked so pretty with a sprinkling of glitter on them (again, fairy-dust style). It was exciting to bring more green life into the house. I’m hoping the shimmery glitter won’t kill the trees. I also purchased a pretty primrose that day. That’s indeed a true sign that spring is coming soon.
The tropical plants are now being displayed, and I’m tempted to buy another palm tree. I bought one on sale last year around this time, and it is still thriving quite well. I’m resisting the temptation to bring the geraniums up from the dark basement to begin the growing season. I know it’s a bit too soon for that, but it’s nice to feel optimistic that spring really is just around the corner, in spite of the snow and cold.
Deb Drinkwalter is a Lockport resident. Her column appears every Sunday. Contact her at d.drinkwalter@yahoo.com.
Deb Drinkwalter
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Deb Drinkwalter is a Lockport resident. Her column appears every Sunday. Contact her at d.drinkwalter@yahoo.com.
DRINKWALTER: Storms grip the Northeast!
- Deb Drinkwalter
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DRINKWALTER: As for the birds ... fascinating lore
There isn’t much wildlife to look at outside this wintry time of year, since we don’t have our bird feeders filled; the only signs of life in our yard have been a few squirrels and some large black birds skulking around the yard.
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DRINKWALTER: Does going to church make you fat?
Every week, our church prides itself in the after-church coffee hour experience. Volunteers bring cookies and other goodies to serve with coffee, tea and juice for fellowship after the church service.
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DRINKWALTER: I had the flu shot, so why am I sick?
I had to clear the cobwebs out of my head to write today’s column. I just recovered from an awful cold. You may remember the 1945 movie, “The Lost Weekend,” with Ray Milland and Jane Wyman. I spent an entire day on the couch, kind of in that “The Lost Weekend” state.
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DRINKWALTER: Storms grip the Northeast!
The days when the sun shines on the bright, white snow make you realize that spring is just around the corner. I can feel it; as the days get longer, my energy level and spirits are beginning to soar.
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DRINKWALTER: ’Twas the Month After Christmas
So here we are again, wrapping up several months of feeding frenzy and wondering why our clothes are so tight.
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DRINKWALTER: No double-dipping for Chessie
No dipping! I say that a lot. You might think I’m referring to someone using chewing tobacco
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DRINKWALTER: The year 2011 is finally here
So, we made it through another Christmas, and 2011 is finally here.
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DRINKWALTER: ‘So there was this pirate and this nun ...’
As the winter doldrums approaches, it’s good to make a point of getting out and about, even if we don’t feel like it. Of course, we do tend to get sick more often during rainy or snowy weather.
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DRINKWALTER: SAD-ly the Winter blues cometh
Here we go again! Today is the end of Daylight Saving Time, or should I say the beginning of winter blues. Most of us find daylight savings time changes confusing. Just remember in the fall we fall back; in the spring we spring forward.
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DRINKWALTER: Halloween for saints or sinners?
Today is Halloween. It was my favorite occasion as a child and my mom used to say that before summer even began, I already started talking about what I wanted to be for Halloween.
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