There is an energy that always precedes a storm like this, a palpable excitement in the air as real as the firewood we stack up on the hearth in anticipation. Can you feel it? It exists, at least,  in a small New England ski town like mine. Jackson is one of those rare places where you will find folks elatedly dancing around in the grocery aisles as they stock up on provisions, waiting for Mother Nature’s onslaught. There are smiles on everyone’s faces as they get their morning papers and cups of morning brew.  ‘Bring it on!’ most of us say as we toss around our optimistic predictions for snowfall amounts, and wax up our skis. The more the merrier here in the North Country, and this storm didn’t disappoint us a bit. While I feel for the people south of Boston and on the Cape who are still without power,  I actually cheered for this rare, modern-day appearance of a winter storm that would have been a common occurrence just a generation ago.  Farm-folk of yore would have been taken it  in stride without much notice or fanfare at all. It would have been just part of a days work!

 
I laugh at the weather channels these days, though, reporting 24/7 with the tone of a world-crisis at hand.  Clearly the reporters are in their glory, with the eyes of the nation glued on them. It’s good business to be sure; the sponsors and networks love it. Granted, Nemo was a dangerous storm and wreaked havoc in many areas that are still in the process of recovering. I don’t want to demean its power and how it has affected millions. However, that same ‘top news story’ mentality accompanies a storm that may bring only 4-6” of snow to the region, too. Our farmgirl ancestors would laugh at the absurdity of such a thing. Don’t we have anything better to do?  We have degenerated into a nation of dependent wimps!

Forgive my attitude if I seem cavalier. Modern science is truly amazing in its accuracy to predict storm models and storm paths, allowing for life-saving preparations and evacuations long before trouble strikes.  But for most Americans, despite being descendants of hearty stock that made the country great, an inch or two of inconvenience becomes an insurmountable  obstacle.  Shame on us!

My daughter lives along the coast in Portland, Maine, which was one of the places that got hardest hit in total snowfall amounts and winds. Three plus feet of snow fell within 24 hours, amidst 60+ mph winds. You’d think it would have all blown into the ocean before it landed, but she tells me that it wasn’t so! Photos of this storm in  Portland are reminiscent of my childhood in New York State, a time when winters were really winters, and according to Prairie Home Companion, a time “ when the women were strong, the men were good looking, and all the children were waaay above average.”  When did we stop being like this as a culture?  Okay, okay … I promise not to wax nostalgic about how I had to walk 8 miles uphill in a blizzard to get to the schoolhouse, with nothing but a freshly baked potato to keep me warm from the -20 degree winds!!!  I’ll spare you that tirade!  But frankly, here I am today sitting in a teahouse in downtown Portland only days after this debilitating storm, and it is ‘life as usual’ here.  While there are piles of snow to be sure, one would hardly know Nemo had come through, or that life was disrupted in any way. My daughter says that during the blizzard, she saw people everywhere in the middle of the city on their cross-country skis and snowshoes, grinning from ear to ear.  Snowmobiles were the mode of transport for longer trips. Folks were out shoveling their walks as soon as it the winds died down, and almost without missing a beat, it was business as usual.

I love Mainers for their no-nonsense, take-responsibility outlook on life! These folks have always  seemed REAL to me, they are independent and resourceful; the salt of the earth.  Of course, by telling you this I am preaching to the choir as Farmgirls are a breed of die-hard resourceful stock too. But it is our sacred responsibility to pass these  traits on to our children and those with whom we come into contact. There are not enough teachers of this sort of character to light the way into the future, and that’s why I love MaryJane and the lifestyle she and our fellow Farmgirl bloggers and readers represent. This can-do, self-sufficient attitude transcends whether you like snow, hate it or choose to live tropically and ignore it altogether. But while we’re on the subject, which one are YOU??!! Weigh in your 'type' in the comments below!

Hope you had a beautiful Valentine’s Day, full of love, hope and joy. I am sharing mine with my daughter, and snow or no snow, it is a beautiful day!