Five years ago my husband Alex and I were in Connecticut to visit my father and brother. I was desperate to get to Portland, Oregon because my daughter was expecting baby number two within a week. The day we were to drive to the Hartford airport, the sky opened and dumped nearly two feet of drifting snow. My brother and my husband, both heroes, spent the morning snow blowing and shoveling the long driveway so we could get out to the road. In my haste to get going I slammed my husband’s finger in the car door. He good-naturedly gathered a baggie of snow, stuck his poor mangled finger in it and told my brother to drive on. We made our flight. The plane took off. The baby was born a week later.
Now we’re in Portland again, waiting for baby number three. In Connecticut this weekend the skies opened again, and although the thoughts of being snowed in with a cozy fire and a nice tumbler of scotch are appealing, I’m glad I’m here in Portland where we have had neither a blizzard nor an earthquake.
My phone was awake with messages this morning about the large and scary earthquake in Alaska. Everyone – even a neighbor who lived through the 1964 earthquake – said it was the scariest one ever. At least it had that effect in Anchorage. Snow seems tame and benign compared to rolling floors and swaying light fixtures. Our house sitter reported that all the pictures and paintings on our walls were askew. And, she said, “You have so many pictures!!”
I remember certain snowfalls and snowstorms from my childhood. Some memories are vague and some so vivid. Before I-91 went in, my mother and I walked one winter day from our house on East Center Street through the snow to the farm on Whirlwind Hill. The road was quiet and without passing cars. I picture the snow forts and snowmen we made in our yard on the days school was cancelled. My mother always said that the best thing ever was to ride in a horse-driven sleigh over snowy fields. And I’ve always loved seeing the dark branches of elms and oaks and the long sinews of stone walls etched against a stark white New England landscape.
So here are a few photos of snow in and around Wallingford and Whirlwind Hill. I’ve written this in haste, so excuse any typos or bad grammar. My mind is on snow as I write, and my memories wanted to be woken up. Hope all of you are safe and cozy. Remember – it’s still winter!!
Newspaper clipping about the 1888 blizzard.
The barnyard of the Hall farm on Whirlwind Hill after a snowstorm
Cows in snow, Hall farm on Whirlwind Hill
After a snowstorm on Whirlwind Hill near the Hall barn.
Sue Collins and Carol Crump on a Radio Flyer.
Chris Heilman, Kirt Crump, and Francis Hall on Whirlwind Hill with coon dogs.
What a treat to hear from you. Glad you are safe and sound. No snow here in northern Vermont. Best wishes for the birth and have fun with the kiddos.
So good to hear from you too, Robin. And we have very little snow in Alaska either. Hope all is well with you and your family.
We do have the fire, but I traded your scotch for a glass of wine to celebrate that you and yours are safe and happy. Thanks for the memories!
Wine sounds good too!
Such a wonderful surprise to see “On Whirlwind Hill” in the inbox this morning! And all these lovely photos! (In the final one of Kirt and Francis … whose son is Chris Heilman? The Heilmans who lived near us in town were (parents) Jim and Mary, and kids, Judy, Jimmy and Tina. Maybe Chris is their cousin? Did they live out near you?)
I’ve been thinking about Mara!! My hopes are for a little Birthday Buddy Baby for moi on January 26th! : o)
May the birth be smooth for her and the babe, and I’m so happy for you ALL as you welcome this little girl! Hooray!! LOVE TO YOU!
Chris lived on Grantham Road just behind us on East Center Street. His dad was “Dutch” Heilman, and I think maybe he had the bakery in Wallingford? Don’t remember his mother’s name, but Chris’s sister was Sandy.
Looks like you’ll get your birthday wish. Still on schedule for the c-section tomorrow. I’ll keep you posted! Love to you too.
Such a wonderful post this morning! It brings back so many great memories of our childhood snowstorms.
Great photos and thanks for sharing. You were some cunnin’ as Grammy Norton would say:)
Will be thinking about you all this week and best wishes from Kansas:))
Always love Aunt Ellen’s turns of speech. Have fun in Kansas. Any snow there?
I loved reading this sentence in particular: “My mother always said that the best thing ever was to ride in a horse-driven sleigh over snowy fields” – that explains your mother’s always predictable and cheerful Christmas card winter scenes of sleighs and snowy fields! (My mom was more into the cozy fireplace you also describe.) Thinking of you today and baby day – so exciting!
She did love those sleigh-filled Christmas cards. And she loved sharing her childhood memories with all of us.
Yes, I remember walking or sledding on the road to the bottom of the hill to get the bus. The bus would come (maybe) but who knew when, and it certainly wasn’t going to actually travel its normal route down Whirlwind Hill Road. Sometimes after waiting a long time, it never came and we just trudged back home.
Blessings on the new addition. I hope all goes well!
Waiting for the bus was such a big part of my growing up. I don’t remember that there were ever any parents hanging around with us. Once we walked out the door of the house we were on our own.
Lovely
Carol,
Thanks for reminding me of the many winter adventures of living on the hill. We were snowbound for days several times and I can remember skiing to the bottom of the hill with my father to collect eggs, milk and bread left for us in a snow bank by the milk man. Getting home by way of Scard Road was a real challenge. I am impressed with the walk out to the farm that you and your mother took. It must have felt like heading off into the wilderness with all the snow and lack of traffic.
Best wishes for the new addition to the family!
Nice to hear from you Mike. It seems like there were many times of deep snow on the hill. And such good sledding. We liked to borrow my grandmother’s big pots and pans and slide down the hill near the house. She was such a good sport to let us do that. Then they invented “flying saucers,” and we didn’t need the pots anymore.
Thanks Carol,,,,,we are having a good time but we are ready for the season to end in 4 days! The 3-4 inches we got last week will all be gone today as the temps will be in low 50’s the next few days. Almost too warm for the pups in the tall grass. Hope to see you in 2016:)