There are few winter sights more beautiful than huge snowflakes drifting from the sky.
While it might not receive such accolades in the North where winter is sometimes harsh and unrelenting, for those of us in the South, this is an occasion that provides folks with a rare chance to be involved in snow-requiring activities.
Snowmen (and women) popped up in yards across the state following Winter Storm Enzo’s appearance. Our granddaughter, who is in school in Charleston, got what was probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sled on King Street — down the middle of King Street — in the center of the city.
Another granddaughter who lives in south Georgia just 25 miles from the Florida line got her first-ever look at snow. She tried to make a snow angel, but the crusty layer of ice made that activity more difficult than she imagined. Still, she and her brother were able to erect a snowman in the front yard and try their own versions of sledding.
Here in Aiken, my wife and I hunkered down inside thankful for a warm house, hot chili and no reason to venture out. We enjoyed the view of the yards on our street — and the street itself — covered in white. There was an unusual stillness as traffic was almost nonexistent, animals seemed to be sheltering in place and even the birds did not have their usual pace of activity.
Since much of the accumulation came after dark on Tuesday, watching the flakes fall was not something I got to see as much as I’d like. But Wednesday morning, there was a second snowfall that I delighted in witnessing. Across the street are several large magnolia trees whose long, broad leaves were snow covered.
With each puff of a breeze, a shower of white powder blew from the dark-green leaves, glistening in the morning sunlight as it made its way groundward. When there is little else to do, spending 30 minutes watching this unusual display did not seem a waste of time. Nor was another 20 minutes looking beyond the backyard fence to view five deer gingerly walking through the white ground cover looking for something to eat.
As many normal activities ground to a halt on Wednesday, there were still some rhythms of life that we followed. On most weekday evenings, we tune in the TV to watch the news and then “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy.”
I am always intrigued with the introductions of the players on those shows. They are usually from places like Fargo, North Dakota, or Fresno, California, or Poughkeepsie, New York. Those are places far away and people whose lives I often wonder about. Occasionally, however, there is a contestant from the South, and I always perk up when I hear the familiarity of a place nearby.
But Wednesday, with frigid temperatures outside and the remnants of the snowfall still on the ground, I was almost caught off guard when the first “Wheel” contestant was identified as Sabrina Brown from Aiken, South Carolina. I quietly cheered as she solved several of the game’s word puzzles and ended up winning a more-than-respectable $11,650.
It was nice to see a person from our city do so well on national TV. The day after our snowfall became the day of her windfall. Congratulations Sabrina!
