Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Our region was just digging out from winter storm Stella. Conditions were raw; no, they were atrocious, and I am not one who says that lightly. In fact, I tend to be one who enjoys a good snowstorm, the fresh cold breezes of a lovely winter day.

This, folks, was not a lovely winter day. It was challenging to be outside, even for just a little while. Once back indoors, it was difficult to warm back up. It was the kind of cold that sunk down deep into one's bones.

In the morning when I caught the bus, it was about 17 degrees F out, it was snowing lightly, and wind was whipping the snow from the ground, from the trees, from everywhere. It somehow seemed to be blowing snow from every direction at once.

Penn State had done the unthinkable on Tuesday, and cancelled all activities for the day. Believe me when I say that this hardly ever happens. It is a rarity, to be sure, a thing that has occurred only a handful of times in my 35-year relationship with Penn State.

On Wednesday morning, this was the scene in front of Old Main. The snow was covered in fresh tracks. An igloo had been created nearby. And someone had put the free snow day to good use by building a snowman.

The soundtrack: Do You Want to Build a Snowman, from the movie Frozen.