Inside the nature's refrigerator!

             

         Though shining sun, rising temperature and scorching heat are busy celebrating the months of summer, a glance at our photographs full of white snow all around, inspired me to write about our stay inside the nature’s refrigerator! Landed in a foreign country with temperature dropping below anything ever experienced before, this three month stint on the east coast offered a fantastic opportunity to feel the chill.

          Besides exploring a new place and adjusting to a new lifestyle, survival in this freezing weather certainly kept me well occupied. From first ever snowfall to ice all around, from dozens of warm clothes to accessories for protection, this cold episode undoubtedly offered me a lot to enjoy!

             Coming from a place that never gave us an opportunity to wear sweaters or don a jacket, covering myself with layers of cloth did add to my weight! Enjoying the cold outside while seated comfortably in the heat inside was tempting by all means as the heater at home became my new best friend. Occasions during which this friend chose to leave us struggling with the cold, waiting for its repair and hoping for a quick solution was all we could do !

            Within days of my arrival, the forecast about snowfall kept me charged up for this encounter of a lifetime . Questions like for how long does it fall, how does it get cleared or how do people proceed with their usual routine flooded my mind as I waited to experience it for the first time in my story! Sleeping with a wish to see the snow soon, blankets of white cover all around greeted me the next morning. 

        The entire landscape transformed within a short time as snow made its home on land. Presence of snow on roads, trees and cars offered a new look to everything as this white color enjoyed undivided dominance and fame. As a new style adopted by nature, there was purity and brightness radiating all over.

             With this cover of snow, my assumption of an unexpected holiday and life coming to a standstill was totally proved wrong as everything proceeded at a normal pace. Continuous clearance of snow from main roads and internal streets made way for vehicles as people went ahead with their schedule. Though offices may not afford to shut for a day, the sight of children walking to school or school buses plying on the roads made me realize it was just another day! While I was busy enjoying this first ever snow fall with wonder and joy, I must have definitely gathered puzzled looks and surprised attention of those around.

           Happily offering my help to clear the snow from car, my husband hoped this excitement to last for all the approaching snowfalls! With photo session to capture these beautiful memories, walk and drive over the snow was totally amazing. The entire day of this first experience was marked with an eagerness to look at fate of the snow. Either a further drop in temperature brought in icy conditions or bit of sunshine enabled its melting.  Sun enjoyed to play a prank with everyone as its shine appeared warm, while in reality it was just playing a passive role. Tempting me to go outdoors, this sunshine tricked me innumerable times!

         Leaving the house only after being shielded with warm guards from head to toe, walking hurriedly from car to indoors and indoors back to car marked our outing sessions in the cold. Though it appeared difficult to commute in the cold, it was impossible to avoid. The excitement around snowfall faded soon, as it kept visiting us quite often and my husband’s hope of getting a ready snow-free car, faded along with it!  

       

        Unknowingly, all the anxiety and tension of braving this winter disappeared in thin air as I went around in snow and cold with absolute ease. It taught us the value of planning and forced us to be prepared at all times with adequate stock of daily necessities.

     

         This nature’s refrigerator let us out as we changed our location. While this current place offers a pleasant monotonous climate all through the year, I feel fortunate to have experienced that chilly weather at least for a short while. Though the freezing temperature kept us grounded quite often and our relocation appeared as a relief, they still form some of my ‘coolest’ memories.

         Till that moment, movies or pictures were the closest I could ever get to snow and here I was touching and walking all over it! As a memorable farewell to us, there was snowfall right till the day of our relocation! Struggling to pack and move with snow all around, it fortunately gave us a clearance for our flight on time! Truly a wonderful experience while freezing and chilling in the cold, the atmosphere kept singing ‘ice, ice baby!!!’

          

        Have you enjoyed sitting inside such a refrigerator? Though the nature forces us to, do you find it ‘cool’ ??