How Cowboys Handle Snow

On Friday my Facebook and Twitter streams were swimming with updates on snowmageddon and impending snow days and well wishes to those on the roads and warnings for everyone to stay home, inside where it’s warm unless it’s a serious emergency.

Then there were hoorays heard from that province that shall go unnamed all the way through to the prairies when it was announced that the schools were indeed closed and an official snow day was declared.

My friends “back East” posted plans to stay in pyjamas all day, bake with the kids, build snow forts and generally teach their children the age-old Canadian tradition of the snow day.

Except we didn’t have snow in cowboy land. Well any more snow than the six feet we already had. I was left headed to work and relying on my fond memories of pooling my “resources” with neighbours during previous snow days.

These resources of course include chips, chocolate, wine and over-excited kids.

Then this morning I woke up to a blizzard. I could barely see across the street through all the snow and it made me laugh. While it’s a Saturday and my “Ontario constitution” was telling me to stay in my pyjamas and start counting our rations the newly minted cowboy in me had other plans – the one that has learned the hard way that snow is never an excuse to be late for ballet class.

It involves putting the huge cowboy-sized truck into four wheel drive, leaving 20 minutes early and not driving like an idiot.

Because that my friends is how the cowboys handle snow. No resource pooling or warnings required. Just get on with your day and if you run out of wine the liquor stores are still open 9am to 2am every single day.

PS: That shot of the cowboy up above is from our last major snowstorm when I was waiting for my delayed-by-the-snow flight to take me home from a work trip. Even then there’s no panic – got his hat, his boots and his truck waiting for him when he lands!