It is a weekday in 1957, March 26th and the day before it had started to snow. Down on the farm in southern Iowa we had good snow storms but this one was a heavy snow with strong winds. School was cancelled and it was my birthday. The farm buildings were lined up in a row with an opening for the tractors to drive through between the barn and the grain shed. When the wind would blow in a certain direction, I am guessing out of the east, the buildings would collect lots of snow and created big drifts.
I had turned seven and it was exciting to look out of the house and see such tall drifts. It was cold in the morning but I put on two pairs of jeans and my winter boots to go wading in the snow. I really liked my red coat and the artificial fur was to help keep the person warm that lined the hood. The strap, that is supposed to help keep you warm as it snapped across you chin would get wet as the breath put out moisture. I had unsnapped it as it was wet and you didn't want to taste it. I doubt the drawstring to the hood was tied and the sun is shining.
We never took pictures of the snow or people in the snow but my mom ventured out to snap my photo. Later my brother three years older than me, came out and we together made caves and tunnels. I really don't know of any other photo taken of our family in the snow. The photo brings back so many memories of winter and the two buildings behind me.
In March we would venture into the barn to look for new born kittens and visit dad while he milked the cow. Young twin calves were brought to the barn to help them survive another storm sheltered in the barn During rainstorms we would run barefoot in the puddles and mud. Both buildings are gone now as the new owners let the barn roof cave in and the building to the left had to be moved as their tractors were too large to go between the buildings. They moved the building behind the barn where the strong winds rolled it down the hill one windy day leaving it in a heap. I have many memories of my older brothers and me sledding down our backyard hill and the use of one pair of wooded skis that had a single leather strap to hold your feet to the cheap wooden piece. The hill was steep as it is southern Iowa and the exhaustion one would have trudging up and down the steep incline made everyone very tired. We would never have thought to take a camera out there to capture those memories.
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9 comments:
Guess you never took pictures because it was just an common winter event, and something that basically you just had to endure, whereas here in Australia and NZ it 's much more of a novelty, so we want to capture the memory of it on camera :-)
Well, of course you got a photo because it was your birthday. Great story! And true, even.
That was one big bunch of snow! I can imagine building tunnels & caves in it would've been a lot of fun for a kid. I kind of think it would be fun for an adult as well if properly dressed for it. :))
We built tunnels and caves in the UK in the big snow of 1947, but no-one had a camera to record the event. I can vouch for it being fun.
That's a great shot, it really gives you a feeling of how deep the snow was. Well done to your mom for venturing out with the camera in those conditions.
What could be more fun and to happen on your birthday too! What a great snowfall it was indeed
Well, the new generation won't be saying the same as you as they seem to record every moment of their lives. Good or bad?!?
You have a fine recollection of those times. And judging by how far you sank into that snow, it does remind me of my own childhood, minus the barn, of course!!
Brings back happy memories of snowy Chicago. Also bad ones about how cold it was. I much prefer sunny California.
Barbara
AW, back in the day when children actually went out to play, rain or shine, or in this case, snow!! Good post.
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