The Sports Chick
Sun and Water Gal Grew Up Playing Outside in the Winter
It seems that spring and summer just got here, and now it’s fall already. I have to admit that I’m a sun, sand and water kind of gal. The older I get I dread the coming of winter with the snow, ice and brutal wind chills.
Looking back to when I was a kid, I find it hard to believe that I truly enjoyed playing outdoors in the cold. Could it be that the temperatures were more moderate back then? I doubt it, though I think it’s true the weather patterns have become more extreme.
I grew up along the Cedar River and across the street from a park. It was a perfect environment for a kid, in both winter and summer. When most people hibernate when it’s blustery outside, my friends and I took full advantage of the opportunities presented.
First, the park was blessed with great hills for sledding. Though we all had to trudge quite a distance to reach those hills, it was well worth it. My favorite contraption was the saucer – none of that straight down-hill stuff for me! I thrilled to the scenery spinning around me as I flew to the bottom, only to turn around and make the climb back up to the top.
I loved to ice skate. My grandfather taught me. He was a great outdoorsman. I was just good enough to get from one place to another, could do a few backwards moves, and a few spins. When the river froze over solid, my father would plow a rink behind our house where we spent hours upon hours doing figure eights.
The frozen river also was good for building ice houses. The snow that hadn’t been plowed for skating was constructed into play houses. Sometimes we erected igloos where we could crawl inside, often we shoveled pathways to make outlines of rooms. Isn’t it amazing the creativity and imagination of a child?
As I got older, fun was had aboard a snowmobile. My father sold them so we were never short of one. We would ride on the river, jump the banks and head inland, making our own trails. One of the best times to ride was at night with the headlight beams showing the way. Many times we would come upon a herd of deer, who would leap into the shadows as we approached.
The best part after a time outside was coming inside to sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate. Sounds phony, but it’s true. Our wood-burning fireplace’s wall and hearth was built of huge stones picked up from the riverbank. It was gorgeous. With boots and mittens and scarves thrown by the wayside, we kids would form a half circle in front of the fire to discuss the spills and tumbles of the day.
Makes me want to be a kid again. I regret to say my own daughter did not partake of such outdoor fun growing up because we never offered it to her. She’ll be the first to say she doesn’t regret anything about her childhood – she did have other advantages – but I can’t help think she missed out on something.