Along a gravel road somewhere between Nerstrand and Kenyon, Minnesota. That’s the driveway, not the road.
FOR ALL OF THE TIMES I’ve spurned this winter of brutal cold and deep snow, I must confess to a certain appreciation for the poetic dreaminess of a snowy rural landscape.
Winter exposes, uncovers, bares the basics to the eyes in a way that the fullness of summer cannot.
Power lines and roads cut horizontal swaths. Farm sites beckon like a welcome oasis in a sea of white. Bare-branched trees flag the sky.
A red barn seems redder, a steely grey bin greyer. And a white farmhouse simply vanishes.
This is winter. Spurned. And, sometimes, loved.
© Copyright 2014 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Such poetic beauty somehow lost its luster some weeks ago. Dealing with all the white snowy landscape has become a bit wearisome!!!!! Sigh………… Lovin’ the warmer temps…..for sure!!!!!
Western Minnesota has zero snow cover. That’s a direct report from Ortonville and “as seen on TV (the weather map, at least).”
Getting there (although we have a ways to go!!!). The exposed grass along our front walk actually has green in it!!!!! Rain sprinkles this morning!!!! 40F now with 25 mph winds. No frost under the snow (in our yard/fields!!) so the melting is being absorbed nicely. Too windy to “go fly a kite”!!!! LOL!
There’s a thought–flying a kite. I used to love flying kites.
Me, too!!!!!
The long driveway in the photo is so cool. I can feel the cold North wind biting at my face while waiting for the bus to arrive. Getting onto the bus and finding no place to sit, and all the windows frosted over. In the Spring, the impassable roads due to frost heaves, causing cars to get stuck up to the undercarriage of the car. Yes, those were the good old days, and now we have them back, and will have them for the next 30 years! Weather seems to cycle in 30 year increments. And why is it, we drive in parkways, and park in driveways?
Thanks for sharing your memories, Allan, and for that final intriguing question. You are always thinking.
I was fortunate growing up in that our driveway was short. Not only that, the bus drove north to the neighboring farm and then turned back to come by our farm again. So we just watched for the bus to make its first pass by before venturing outside. We were spoiled that way.
Thirty year cycles? I hope you are wrong.
I think most often spurned. In the beginning maybe loved but as time goes on –at least for me—spurned. Definitely spurned.
I think your reaction reflects how we all feel, especially come March.
Always loved by me 🙂 But that’s just me, I know I’m the odd one here
There’s always one in the crowd.
Ahhhh…. love/hate winter thoughts out here on the back-road too….”But, boy. It sure looks inviting out there….” my snow-blind weary brain cajoles.
Do I dare?….the urge to just run outside in the sunshine and fall back into the freshly fallen, downy white meringue. It’s calling me….”Debbbb…!” The snow whispers and tickles my brain.
SHAKE IT OFF DEB! It’s just SNOW! You know, the stuff you’ve been ranting about for a month now? You’ll only be cold and have to brush it off and then you’ll swear and then it’ll get into your clogs and on your favorite purple wooly socks, and you’ll track it in and then the kittens will want to investigate and…. I start rationalizing the myriad reasons to ignore the …snow…..but, still….
What’s that you say? Just go for it?
Oh hell, why not! Here goes! I LOVE SNOW! I DO! I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY DO! It’s WINTER for cryin’ out loud! I tell the usually conservative and cautious voice inside my head. In a rush, I throw open the front door, and go leaping into the yard off the steps! I take a swan dive–here I come! I’m airborne! Flyin’ high! There’s at least 2 feet to catch me! oh puffy wonderment, here I come!
Crap; I fall face first.
That’s what happens when you forget to play in the snow.
Schitzo for winter out here in the frozen tundra of Connecticut, too—while my socks drip from the shower curtain.
Love from Hidden Lake,
Deb
What great descriptive writing. I could envision you, diving into that snow. And I could hear those words spewing from your mouth. Thanks for injecting humor into this winter, if but for a few moments.
I am really really trying to get back to the Love winter thing, right about now I am beginning to hate it and that would be terrible, out here by myself. I have to stay in tune with it or i will just throw myself onto the snow covered ice and scream my head off.. and that would hurt!
It’s tough for me, too, to love winter much by March. Hang in there, C. The snow is melting here in southeastern Minnesota, although much remains.
and now it is blowing a gale.. the march winds.. but we must not complain.. it does not make it any better! straight back and straight mouth and off to work we go! c
Ah, yes, the wicked winds of March. Onward, my friend, onward.
Winter exposes, uncovers, bares the basics to the eyes in a way that the fullness of summer cannot.
Power lines and roads cut horizontal swaths. Farm sites beckon like a welcome oasis in a sea of white. Bare-branched trees flag the sky.
A red barn seems redder, a steely grey bin greyer. And a white farmhouse simply vanishes.
This is winter. Spurned. And, sometimes, loved.
Audrey -right here in your very own words you have a poem!!!! just a bit of rearranging the lines
Who knew harsh non-ending winters could prove to be so poetic 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion, Sue, to shape this into a poem. I had that thought and now your encouragement is prodding me to do just that.
I love the way you describe what winter does. Exposure is not always a bad thing.
Thank you, Kathleen. I’m currently working this into a poem, per Sue’s comment/suggestion.
That is one way to look at it! Happy Weekend:)
I’m trying. Snow in the forecast.
Beautiful. Photos like that and the memories they stir up make me never want to leave the MidWest.
Thank you.
While I’m a big snow lover, this year I fully understand how most of you all are feeling. I do remember those cold snowy days up on Lake Erie; snow drifts so tall I could fall into one and never be found! lol I do agree with you Audrey, you said it so beautifully…winter bears all; nothing is left hidden from our sight. Once the chill of winter has set in and trees and plants have shed their leaves, everything is so exposed….then spring starts to come alive and the snow begins to melt. Next question is – where’s all the water from the snow melt going to go????
We’ve had tremendous snow melt this week and patches of grass are beginning to show. However, snow is in the forecast for today and up to a half foot for parts of Minnesota on Tuesday. Sigh.
At this point, there don’t seem to be concerns about flooding from the quick snow melt.
I know it’s been a terrible winter for you but I’ve secretly been enjoying all of the images of winter that you’ve posted. I’ve found them so intriguing because it’s a world that’s so foreign to me that I find it fascinating xx
Well, then, Charlie, I’m happy to entertain and educate you with my snow photos. More will be forthcoming. Another snowstorm is set to hit Minnesota on Tuesday. I am hoping it misses southern Minnesota.