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Yesterday was the first major snowfall in the Greater Toronto Area. Not bad I say, as we had made it to the second week of February with minimal snow! We were kind of stranded on our street until the snowplow cleared our way, but we're okay now! What's left to do is dig out the bottom of our driveway where the plow blocked us in!
Growing up as a child in Toronto in the 1970s, I remember winters where we had snowfalls like this EACH DAY for weeks! I'm talking so much snow that neighbours had to climb out of their second story window to get out! I'm talking so much snow that it was piled over my 6'0 dad's head! I'm talking so much snow, that my dad had to cross the street to empty his shovel, as there was nowhere left on our lawn to put it!
These are the same years that my dad joined with a band of other men to help shovel neighbours out of their homes. Back then, the snowdrifts were so high that you could not even open your front or back doors. But it was heaven for us kids: so many snow days and we'd play outside together all day long! I remember working together with a group of 20 kids to make a giant slide out of snow, a snow fort--and of course the standard snowman, when there was packing snow.
Needless to say, our kids are going to have a great weekend making snow angels, tobogganing, having snowball fights, and enjoying winter in Canada!
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I love the snow...I hate cold, so appreciate when we have snowy days! Here in Ottawa, most of our winter is like that though!
ReplyDeleteWe've gotten off "easy" the past few years in Toronto, until yesterday!
DeleteI actually love the snow. I mean, we live in Canada. We're no strangers to snow, right? Plus, if you love the outdoors, there's so much to do outside in the snow! Feel like hitting the ski slopes!
ReplyDeleteChristine, I'm excited for the kids to use the crazy carpets I bought earlier this season. Boy, those carpets can FLY!
DeleteThe snow was crazy yesterday! I deliver mail in a rural area and you know the drill nor rain nor snow nor stormy weather will keep your mail from being delivered...but sheesh! It was a scary drive!! My Dad was in a car crash (not hurt and not his fault!)and I arrived home to a 4 foot snow plow pile at the base of my driveway. Needless to say I didn't see the beauty. Today I don't work and I am at home with my kids, the sun is shining so I am loving it!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I'm glad that you and your family is safe. When our mail was delivered yesterday we were so surprised as it wasn't expected. We just shoveled the same snow pile at the end of the driveway, and it took my hubby and I all morning!
DeleteWe have the same memories! My Dad used to plow all the neighbour's driveways with his tractor. And the HUGE pile of snow he made for us for sliding down and for burrowing a tunnel into - So many memories! :)
ReplyDeleteNancy, what an awesome memory! Your dad sounds like a very giving guy!
DeleteHave fun in your winter wonderland. It's melting over here (Alberta) - Thank goodness. We had quite the cold snap not too long ago.
ReplyDeleteRanda, on Monday the weather's going to be +7C here! I wonder how much snow will melt?
DeleteWOW! I grew up in the Arizona desert where there was never snow...I cant imagine being in snow as tall as your father! Those are great memories you have of 20 neighbor kids all playing together to make forts and so on! We live in Chicago now and finally got snow this past week so the kids are VERY EXCITED to play in it while it lasts.
ReplyDeleteJenny, I hope that your kids enjoy the snow! Growing up in the Arizona desert sounds like an endless summer of fun!
DeleteWow! We got jipped in the NW-not much snow this year and they say we are done. I have a lot of family in Toronto and my Mom grew up in Waterloo.
ReplyDeleteErinn, I have to admit that I'm looking very much to the spring when we won't need to dress the kids in snowsuits everytime we go out! I'm guessing that your family knows a lot about harsh winters, if they're in Toronto & Waterloo!
DeleteWow - that's a lot of snow! Since we moved to Florida from NYC, I forgot what it was like!
ReplyDeleteJoanne, Florida must be beautiful this time of year!
DeleteI like one good snow a year, then I'm over it. :) I live in TN, so we don't get much snow... although this has been the worst winter we've had in a long time. Nothing like the kind you got this weekend, though.
ReplyDeleteDonna, we've had very mild winters the past few years. The pattern has been: it snowed, it melted, it snowed, it melted...expect for the snow that I described.
DeleteI'm all for a milder TN winter!
Is there anything better than a snow day! Thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeleteKerrie, as long as they close the schools alongside the school buses, then I'm all in!
DeleteI love snow personally. We used to live just North of toronto in the snow belt... it was always packing snow. Then we moved here and its too cold, so it's always just frozen fluff. :( I miss building snowmen.
ReplyDeleteDefinition of a Mother, whereabouts do you live now? What temperatures have you been getting?
DeleteI am definitely over the snow this year, I am so ready for summer!
ReplyDeleteBrittany, as soon as the spring clothing starts popping up in stores, I start to get spring fever!
DeleteI love the snow. Living here in South Carolina we don't get any. I am originally from NJ and they had a snow storm yesterday.
ReplyDeleteKelly, I wonder how NJ is coping with the snow storm? A storm always seems to take everyone by surprise, here too.
DeleteBeing in Manitoba, we have snow like this most of the winter, along with frigidly cold weather - we enjoy the normal winter temps when we can make snow angels and play outside! Stay safe!!
ReplyDeleteMommy Moment, my hubby spent his early childhood in Manitoba and his family has fond memories of it. However, they do say that winters were particularly cold. We got ourselves shoveled out and are okay now! It was business as usual at the mall and stores.
Deletewe love this snow after a long time played today with the kids and felt like a little kid again :)
ReplyDeleteSounds fun, Torviewtoronto! Today we are taking the kids tobogganing. We wanted to do it yesterday, but the truth was we spent hours getting ourselves shoveled out...and the kids played in the massive snowdrifts!
DeleteWe got our first snowfall like that in November and have had about a dozen more since. Sigh! Saskatchewan always has hard winters but this is the first time in probably a decade that the snow has actually been as high as I am!
ReplyDeleteWow Kathryn, what an adventure! Get lots of photos, because years later they'll be fun to see!
Deletewinter is the best for kids! SO many fun things to do!
ReplyDeleteI love, love the first snowfall of the year. You never outgrow that feeling of playing in the first snow, the unity of kids when it comes to snowball fights and the rush of sledding down the hill.
ReplyDeletethe ONLY thing i like about snow is that it's pretty when i look outside my NYC window.... :D
ReplyDeleteStopping by from SITS!
ReplyDeleteWe never have much snow here in N Ireland - and when we even have just a wee bit, we tend not to cope very well!
we did the snow angels, sledding/tobogganing, snow forts... but a snow slide sounds like a lot more fun. being a stay at home mom I never have to shovel (we rent so the most my husband ever has to shovel is a small walkway because the landlord is responsible to clear out the parking lot.
ReplyDeletewe made a big fort amd woould make tunnels inside the fort. it was great fun!
ReplyDeleteLiving in Newfoundland we always had lots of snow for forts and tunnels that lasted the whole winter
ReplyDelete