Snow day disruptions

There’s nothing like a snow day to bring out that inner child.

A snowy hill on Tech campus was full of children (and adults) sledding last Thursday morning after Socorro was coated in snow Wednesday night. Schools were closed and kids were out in their sweatpants and mittens, making the most of our winter weather. I was also out in my mittens with a camera getting pictures of people flying down the hill.

It snowed all the way down to Las Cruces last week (although, Las Cruces got a less impressive flurry of snow), and certainly we could always use more moisture.

There’s something magical about snow, and based on my Facebook feed, New Mexicans really appreciate the magic. Nothing is as quiet as a snowy morning, before the roads are cleared when everyone is still at home.

Along with being gorgeous, snow is also inconvenient. There’s nothing like winter weather to highlight infrastructure issues, keep people home from work and make the roads treacherous. It seems like snowy roads are more hazardous in places that get snow less often, because we’re less equipped to deal with it and we’re worse at driving in it. Credit to those county maintenance workers who were out shoveling snow in front of the courthouse before anyone else was on the roads. I walked past one on the way to the newspaper office.

Kids home from school means parents have to figure out who is going to take care of them (assuming the parents didn’t get to stay home from work). Businesses closed or offices opening late can be inconvenient. My work day plans for Thursday went out the window—in large part due to the weather. Of course, instead of my original plans, I got to spend the morning taking pictures of people sledding down a snowy hill. That’s definitely more fun than what I’d planned. Sometimes disrupted plans are the best plans. What kid wouldn’t prefer sledding to class?

By afternoon, the snow was practically gone, and roads were clear. But the winter weather was a good reminder to enjoy whatever disruptions the day brings. Sometimes getting derailed takes you exactly where you need to be.