Memories in the snow blog 5

I can’t seem to remember my first snow, but my most powerful memories of winter are those of sledding with my cousins. My grandparents used to own a horse farm with a lot of woods attached to it. In the woods they had trails for the horses; they had areas planned out for hay fields, and they had a tree field out there for our future. There was a perfect spot out there for sledding by one of the hay fields, if you minded the trees surrounding it. Being slightly reminiscent of “A Christmas Story,” where the little boy has so many layers on that he can’t put his arms down, we would start the hike to the sledding hill. It was about a fifteen minute walk past the horses, the manure, the stalls and the hay barn just to get to this prime sledding location. It was a steep incline but we didn’t have too much trouble getting up it. Once on top of the hill we would try to decide who would slide down first on the sled we brought with us. The only sled we had was an old wooden one with metal runners, which our mothers had used, to share between the five of us. After we took turns sliding down the hill, we would chase each other up the hill, make snow angels, and/or wreak any and all sorts of havoc while the adults couldn’t see. We used to try and walk on the ice of the little creek that ran by the hill, but usually fell in soaking ourselves to the bone. This was our little haven where we would spend hours out of everyone’s hair and we would enjoy the snow that covered the hill. I think that is why we always had so much fun sledding in the woods. We would be away from the adults and not have to worry about getting in trouble. After we were so cold that our fingers started to throb and sting, we would make the long walk back to the house. Once we were back to the house we would enter into the warm little room, off of the kitchen, to start the unthawing process. With our noses, cheeks, and ears beat red from the wind and the cold, we would take off the layers of clothes that tried to keep us warm. Every winter we would do this, not only for the fun but for the bonding as well. These are the best memories I have of winter.