The weather we’ve had in the last few weeks is certainly unusual for us here in the lush Fraser Valley. It is fairly common, but not certain, to get at least one snow event in December or January, but to have snow for six or more weeks is nothing like I have experienced in my 23 years living here.

It has created its own unique set of joys and challenges, as well as ponderings about what is going on. I thought I would share some reflections of my own:

  1. Global warming – no, I am not even going to go there. Way too politically loaded.
  2. Making the call for a snow day is most often not a clear cut decision. Looking at weather forecasts, variable conditions, the wide range of bus routes, and seeing what other schools are doing at 5:45 am can be pretty tense. Once you do make the call, there will always be second guessing, both from those making the call and those it impacts.
  3. Making the call the day or evening before is appreciated, but increases the likelihood for a mistake if the predicted events turn out to be non-events.
  4. Sliding down a snow covered hill, making snowmen and snow forts is sheer delight for almost everyone, especially when it’s so rare.
  5. There is a fine line between having a really great time and “This is getting dangerous!”
  6. It’s very hard to climb up an icy hill, but some just have to keep trying in spite of repeated attempts to encourage alternate routes.
  7. Most kids respect rules put in place for safety reasons, even if it takes away some fun.
  8. No matter how careful you are and try to mitigate all the safety issues, some kids will still get hurt. Lots of “should’a, would’a, could’a” comes to mind when it is a serious injury.
  9. Having buses come early to take kids home and making sure they will all be met by someone when they arrive home is a whole lotta work. Necessary, but intense.
  10. Through it all, there are countless stories of people pulling together, being flexible and going above and beyond. This really is a great community!

I am writing this in the middle of our third snow day of the year, looking out my office window and marveling at the sun shining down on the mounds of snow in our parking lot. Beautiful as it is now, we could not have been prepared for the traffic we get on a school day.

I am getting some last minute things done before heading out at midnight to attend my son’s wedding on Friday. Who would have thought that going from Abbotsford to Grand Rapids, Michigan in February would mean going from snow to no snow. Still not the sunnier climes most people are going to at this time of the year, but still quite exciting.