Sunday, October 23, 2016

First Liar Doesn't Stand A Chance

Lots of jokes about how tough people had it going to school.

“Walked ten miles through the snow, uphill both ways, and into a 90 mph headwind”.

Attended high school in Steamboat Springs, CO. On average Steamboat gets 30 feet of snow each winter. Winters are judged by how many wires on a four strand barb wire fence are covered. A bad winter is when the posts are covered.

Unless there is a cloud cover, temperatures drop to – 20 degrees when the sun goes down. – 50 is not unknown.

Until I was a senior and had a car, it was ¼ of a mile in a rarely plowed lane to the highway where we caught the school bus. As a jock I had to walk home after practice and  a shower. Out of a hot locker room into a sub zero night and a 1.3 mile walk to home. Downhill to the river then along the railroad tracks in the snow between the rails was my quickest way to the ranch chores waiting at home. I made the walk everyday regardless of the temperature or if it was snowing.

Breathing was sometimes difficult in the cold without wrapping a scarf across your face. The hair is your nose froze. Your cheeks went numb. Now 1.3 miles doesn’t sound like much of a distance but I would challenge you to try it in those conditions.


Our school had a dress code where all the females had to wear dresses. Stupid! Most wore some sort of pants to school and changed when they arrived.

Skiing was different as you could dress for the cold. Night skiing on Howelsen Hill was quite popular. Fortifying the hot chocolate with adult beverages was also popular with the adults.


All in all, I prefer the cold to heat and humidity. A summer day in Corpus Christi? No thank you. I’ll take a Wyoming blizzard first.

13 comments:

Coffeypot said...

“Walked ten miles through the snow, uphill both ways, and into a 90 mph headwind”. You left out "barefooted and a t-shirt". I admit we didn't have winters like that in GA, but standing outside waiting on the bus with the temperature in the teens wasn't fun. Especially when we made a game of flipping ears. The rich kids of course had earmuffs.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Guess it is what you are accustomed to.

Ami said...

I grew up in the cold, too. Colorado, Eastern Oregon. Brrr!!!

I don't mind heat. Unless it's humid. Then it makes me ill.

I don't handle cold very well, but that doesn't stop me from wishing to return to Colorado. I miss it so much. :)

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Have always felt comfortable around John Day.

Old NFO said...

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that my friend! :-) I don't do cold well... sigh

Well Seasoned Fool said...

My choice for year around living wold be Fall.

Anonymous said...

I remember that 1/4 mile walk everyday. I was the last one in the morning and the first off after school. Would wait until I saw the bus come around the corner about a mile away. It had one stop before me. By the time I walked to the highway, it arrived. There was one -50 degree day that I walked and thought that my fingers were going to break off. I had light woolen mittens and not the super warm winter jackets that are available now. The only consolation was that I got to sit on the heater next to the driver because the bus was full. Sisty

Well Seasoned Fool said...

You were a tough little s**t but way too young to be walking anywhere in -50 degree weather. One of the disadvantages of being a rural latchkey kid.

Anonymous said...

Still am a touch s**t. Being a rural latchkey kid who was protected by her dog, cat & horses had its advantages. Oh, and a Big Brother helped out sometimes also. Sisty

Well Seasoned Fool said...

touch s**t.??? Today one would be better off bitch slapping a mama bear with her cubs than messing with you.

Old NFO said...

Yep! :-)

Anonymous said...

I knew you luved me!!! Thanks for the compliment. Sissty

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Don't push it!