Winds of December come early

All day long reports were coming in about how bad the weather would be this evening. It had snowed throughout the day, but nothing too brutal compared to normal winter weather here. I drove home and it was snowing, but I have become so accustomed to the lake effect that I didn’t think it was all that impressive. The radio announcer was listing a seemingly endless list of cancellations for evening activities throughout the entire area. I actually still planned on having practice for anyone who could make it down to the rink. My wife’s office looks out towards the lake. It’s a nice view. I was looking at here computer screen when I heard what I thought was a snowplow coming up the road. When I turned to look I soon realized that it was not a snowplow, but the wind howling and blasting snow against the big window. Maybe the weather is worse than I thought. With the ice and the snow now churning up and around with heavy winds I began to rethink the idea of holding practice on this stormy December night. Practice is canceled. I’m sitting here now at my own desk listening to the wind. Our house doesn’t usually move at all during storms. Sometimes I don’t even realize that we’re having one unless I step outside. Tonight I can feel the house shift as the gusts whip the snow around off the lake. And so I sit here as the storm pounds against the outside walls of my winter sanctuary with my coach’s jacket and skates hanging in the hallway replaced this evening with my very comfortable coach’s bathrobe and slippers. Well, I might as well relax on this cold winter’s night. I probably should take off my orange ball cap and hang the whistle up too.