Winter night air, icy cold up my nose, smells of snow and clean water

and brings back memories of night

football games,

wrapped in coats and blankets on cold metal bleachers.

Winter dates, walking through snow on our

way to the coffee shop for

a hot drink after the movies.

A midnight toboggan ride in the chilly moonlight,

without gloves.

Stars twinkled between the tamarack trees on a high mountain road.

The pain of frozen fingers lasted for weeks.

A big pile of snowballs to throw at my best friend’s big brother

when he got home from work.

Jumping off snowbanks and sliding on snow covered roads in our

slippery boots.

Making snow ice cream in stocking feet while

our snow soaked tennies and jeans dried by the fire.

We played Monopoly until 3am drinking the best cocoa ever,

made by my friend’s mom.

We listened to Cheech and Chong’s Big Bamboo and laughed so hard

tears came out of our eyes.

We walked on crunchy, snow-covered roads

to all of our friend’s homes

to gather them for late Saturday night Creature Features,

and after, we were too afraid to sleep.

We watched the snow fall under the Ponderosa pines

in the glow of porch lights.

We walked the dogs at 5am,

being silly

after stealing a nip of Gramps’ whiskey.