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Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v09n05)
Right in my Own Backyard - A Cold Season Delight - by Brandt Carter
posted: Mar. 02, 2012

Right in my Own Backyard header

A Cold Season Delight

This mild winter has given us few days for one of my favorite traditions: snowmen. They bring personality to a yard just when the quiet landscape needs it most. I always get a kick out of the creativity they express ― just like snowflakes themselves, no two are alike. Who can pass a snowman without wanting to stop for a closer look to see how it's been made and dressed?
Ever since I was a child I've seen snow as a medium from which things can be made: snowballs, forts, igloos, and angels, but snowmen have always been a particular favorite. Building them is always a unique experience that draws on the talents of each person. This year brought me another epiphany about snowmen.
On one of those days just after Christmas when all family members were still in town, our young four-and-a-half-year-old who had grown tired of playing "Angry Birds" announced he wanted to go outside to play. His grand aunties obliged and charged him with building a snowman, albeit only 12 inches tall. We showed him how to get started by forming a snowball then rolling it through snow to make it big for the base. His eyes lit up as he repeated the process for the second section. Alas it was time for the head so I asked, "Now what do you need for his eyes, his nose and his mouth?" I scrambled into the kitchen to find a slice of red pepper for a mouth, a carrot nose, and raisin eyes. He wedged each piece into place. Voila! He had made his first snowman, a miniature but worthy of a photograph.
We all came away from that moment with a memory and the delight of passing a time-honored tradition from one generation to another. Yes, I thought to myself there can be more to snowmen than just the fun of seeing them in a yard. The art of learning to enjoy winter begins with play. With it comes life lessons that stay with us. Our knowledge grows from there - learning how to evaluate dry and wet snow, how a cross section of snow can provide a record of a winter, and how to bring outdoor snow themes inside as decoration. I happen to enjoy collecting snowmen ― all kinds of them ―to scatter about my house.
If we have one more snow to usher out the winter, take time to pass one of your favorite snow activities on to the next generation. The knowledge will not be lost. Hopefully if this involves a snowman, it will melt gradually and welcome spring.



Brandt Carter, artist, herbalist, and naturalist, owns Backyard Birds at 2374 E. 54th Street. Visit her web site www.feedbackyardbirds.com. Email your bird questions to Brandt@BroadRippleGazette.com




brandt@broadripplegazette.com
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