It is December!!!

I woke up yesterday to the first day of December and snow. Not much just about a half inch but it is cold and icy. It snowed a little more today. Everyone is teasing me about the snow and cold. I finally was able to pull out my warm, winter sweaters. Which, in Oregon, I would have been wearing since October. (The pic on the left is my frosted sparkly porch and the one on the right is my front yard. Yes it is snowing again.)

I worked late tonight on grades and walked home on a very cold, quiet, clear night. The snow sparkles here. The frost does too. Frost does not cover everything in a white layer here like in Oregon. On a frosty morning you walk through the grass and it just sparkles like glitter. Tonight on top of the snow that is what it looked like.

I was working on positive behavior in my classroom so we are rewarding ourselves on Friday for doing good behavior with root beer floats. They have earned a cup, root beer and 1 scoop of ice cream so far. Tomorrow is another scoop of ice cream and Friday a straw. Then in the afternoon before school gets out, we will enjoy what has been earned. Some students will not have ice cream in their floats. But it was their decisions that and no one else will have to suffer for other peoples bad choices. I am lucky my neighbor is an experienced driver in the snow. I told my students that they were lucky too because I don't drive in snow and I need to go to the store tomorrow for the root beer float party. My students don't understand why I won't drive in the snow.

I told them it was because I didn't know how. They asked me if I didn't know how to drive at all and if so why do I have a car. I explained in Oregon when it snows a couple of inches the city practically stops. That I take a bus or stay home because it is safer. I then had to explain how wet our snow was so it is very slick and how there is usually ice under the snow. I also told them I didn't have any chains and they began to laugh at me. Apparently, here you only need snow tires to get around. Well, it is 35 miles to the closest town and a long drive or walk to find anyone near the road if you wreck and need help. I don't think I will practice my winter driving for awhile.

The Bad Lands are not exactly a place with straight roads and they are not flat like the rest of the mid west. So hilly, curvy roads with deer, antelope and smaller animals runny across the road without warning. Not fun especially in the dark which is usually when I get to drive. So I am going to rely on the hospitality of my neighbors.

This week, the staff and teachers started their secret Santa. Of course, I would get the name of another new teacher so I have no idea what she likes. Today I put in her box a small stoneware trinket box with some pretty ceramic inlay. I filled it with paper clips. She was delighted. The fun part was watching her enjoy the gift and pretending not to know who gave it to her. I am looking for other little things to slip into her box. I only have till 12/17 then I will be revealed. I want to buy something nice for her when I am revealed. I don't know what that might be but I am thinking a nice scarf in her favorite color. Now comes the fun stuff, finding out her favorite color.

Well, it is late and need some sleep. I know I will sleep well tonight because the snow has driven the cows out of the neighborhood. For the last four night, I have had four cows in my yard. They arrive around 10:30 pm and mow my lawn as well as fertilize it. However they also enjoy a good scratch by rubbing various parts against the corner of my house. The very corner where the head of my bed is. Sounds like a hand saw trying to cut through my house. I have been told they are better than having buffalo around because buffalo are mean and dangerous. But do they rub their butts on my house when I am trying to sleep I wonder.