•4:56 PM
Snow has returned to the Ottawa Valley this week. Its a bit earlier this year than most, but not as early as we have seen it. During my time in grade school the arrival of the snowy season meant both new games in the schoolyard and snowsuits. Ah snowsuits - what a complicated way to stay warm. I have no doubt that they haven't change much since I was a boy (not that I've been shopping for one). As I recall, the most agonizing part was putting it on and taking it off 10 times over the course of the day. It may be why I find it hard, even today, to put on a pair of snow boots in the deep winter months.
The games that where once played in the schoolyard involved the large snow bank at the far end of the yard. As the bell signaled the start of the recess period, the rush to the cloakroom and scramble and fumbling of boots, mittens and scarves... then the hurried rush to the outdoors. As you can remember "No running in the halls" was the rule.
Once outside though - it was a full sprint to the Hills of Snow. As we rushed across the schoolyard, we prepared to begin the climbing of the mountain of snow to the top. If someone got there first, the challenge was to be the first to the top. Often this would involve a combination of climbing and shoving other climbers down off the hill. Once someone got the the top - they would decree "... I'm the King of the Mountain, and your the dirty rascal..." And to the joy of the other kids. someone would dethrone the King but pushing him (or her) off the mountain - landing with a snowy thud.
Bring on the snow - I think I'm ready for it now.
Photograph: Ottawa in Winter (2007)
Photo Credit: Amy Pezzicara
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1 comments:
"Once outside though - it was a full sprint to the Hills of Snow. As we rushed across the schoolyard, we prepared to begin the climbing of the mountain of snow to the top. If someone got there first, the challenge was to be the first to the top. Often this would involve a combination of climbing and shoving other climbers down off the hill. Once someone got the the top - they would decree "... I'm the King of the Mountain, and your the dirty rascal..." And to the joy of the other kids. someone would dethrone the King but pushing him (or her) off the mountain - landing with a snowy thud."
I'd forgotten all about this! Don't know that we said "mountain" though, as seem to think we just did the classic rhyming "I'm the king of the castle and you're the dirty rascal!". But hard to say for sure.
Here's something else I remember from our primary school days in Ottawa during the winter. Well two things actually.
For a while, we had this habbit of sneaking up behind people, running at them and sliding into their legs baseball-style. The result being that their legs would crumple and they'd go down - though usually on top of you. We loved this, especially in the mornings as everyone had to wait in the school yard, so people wouldn't expect you as you were just showing up for the day. As a result, we'd all be paranoid, watching for someone else sneaking up on us to do the same.
Now this we could do anywhere on Ottawa's winter permafrost pavement, which would be coated with snow and ice, and slippery enough. But our schoolyard also had a spot with real ice from some kind of water leak or something I guess. Now there at recess we'd all line up, taking turns running and sliding on this huge ice patch.
The problem though was that kids were impatient and/or liked to knock the legs out of each other, so it became a bit of a smash-up derby pile-up at the end of the ice. One time I wasn't quick enough getting away, made the mistake of standing up on the ice instead of crawling off it, only to have some other kid slide into me. Was in agony afterwards, but just weathered the pain the rest of the day in my grade 2 class, only to go skating again and fall in the evening. It must have been the next day I guess before finally got to a doctor to find out my collar bone was broken. Ah, winter fun! That must have been in 1979-80.