T’was the week after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a … oh, who am I kidding!?
We are well into the second week of Christmas break for the kids, which means it is far from quiet or calm at Casa Cole. The kids are enjoying the LEGO, toys and art that Santa and family gave them for Christmas, but in between I will admit, there is definitely a lot of whining.
I personally blame at least some of this on Mother Nature. Normally, we are able to get outside and do some tobogganing on the backyard hill, build snowmen or make snow angels to burn off a lot of that extra pent up energy.
Even a dry but green Christmas would have allowed us to go outside and play on the swings or at a local park, but it’s been so wet and soggy around here that we’ve been mostly stuck indoors — and that is typically a recipe for whining in my household.
I know that we are not the only ones feeling this way. Local ski hills have been forced to close runs and cancel shifts due to the lack of snow, because no one wants to go water skiing in December.
Hotels have reportedly seen a drop in guests so far this winter, many of whom would normally make their way to Simcoe County to enjoy all of the fun, outdoor activities that this area has to offer in our Canadian winter.
Snowmobilers across the region can only stare longingly as their sleds sit idle, keeping their fingers crossed that Old Man Winter will arrive soon and with force to drop enough snow to create that base that’s needed for the local trails to be safe and usable.
Although local ice-hut operators don’t expect to be out on the lakes just yet, popular spots such as Kempenfelt Bay have at least have begun to freeze by New Year's Day, and traditionally, huts can be seen starting to pop up.
I guess one upside of the lake not being frozen is that the annual Polar Bear Dip at Centennial Park meant organizers didn’t have to cut a big hole in the ice and participants could just run in and run out.
As someone who grew up in the GTA and rarely got to enjoy a “white Christmas,” I have grown quite fond of them as an adult, having called Simcoe County home for the last 16 years.
Was it significantly less stressful driving to visit family over the holidays without the stress of a potential snowstorm? Absolutely, but there is just something about Christmas and Christmas vacation where the ground is sparkly and white that just feels right.
I may not be a fan of the cold — or be a particularly outdoorsy individual — but snow on the ground means less whining and “I’m bored” comments for me to have to listen to — as well as kiddos who sleep better at night after enjoying some much-needed (and free!) time outside.
So at the risk of jinxing myself to a winter full of shovelling ... c’mon Mother Nature, bring on the snow!
NIkki Cole is a staff reporter at BarrieToday.
