A Christmas Carol

I went back home to Burlington , Iowa for Christmas break. On Dec 30th I got home pretty late from a day on the road (visiting various family members) with the wife and kids. We pulled in to my Mom's at about 10:30 PM and I noticed the snow looked mighty good for Packing. We got the kids down and I proceeded to slip on my boots. Angie (my wonderful wife) asks "Where are you going?" "I'll be right back, I wanna see if the snow's good for making a snow man."

It was 36 degrees out, and the snow was perfect. I stepped out side at Midnight, and didn't come back in till 3:30 AM. At first I forgot how to start the ball rolling... but after a bit it all came flooding back. The snow ball grew and grew and soon I had to stop because on my own I just couldn't make it any bigger and still move it. So I started a second one, and chopped a dent for it to roll up into. (I wished I had been able to do this with my Brother and Brother inlaw, or some friends... it would have been much, much bigger, and better.) With my 56 year old Mothers help, we Lifted and pushed and rolled that second ball on to the first.

I asked Mom to run in and print an image from the web to work from. I worked on it for 3 and a half hours that night, and about an hour the next day. The Temperature dropped to 20 or so and so all I could do the next morning was cut into it, as the snow wouldn't stick once it got too cold. Here are some images of the final product.

I made this snowman for my Two year old (Geogie) and her little Sister(Liberty), and of course for my Mothers enjoyment, as well as just the love of creating. My mother being the proud parent that she is called the local news paper, and somehow I ended up on the front page... I think she bribed someone.

You can check out that story here...

http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/Snow-sculpture-010210