Snow

Snow is not something we see much of in Brisbane. Actually, it is something we see nothing of.  That does not mean that this country has no snow at all.  No siree.  Not on your nelly.  No way.  And other things that mean we do have some.
When it is really cold snow can be close.  I was staying at the Bunya Mountains and there were reports snow had fallen somewhere near-by.  That did not surprise me.  It was so cold.  Of course, it fell some place where I was not.
I have never seen snow falling.  I have seen it on the ground, and I have seen sleet falling, but never snow.  Seeing snow on the ground was cause for a snow fight.  I reckon I was set up.  My aim was pretty good.  The person who was my target ran behind someone in authority that I would have never thrown a snow ball at.  I got them a beauty.
We just don’t have a lot of snow.  When we do have it, we have it at a very specific time.  Most places do it seems.  Winter seems to be a prime time for snow.
It is not common place here though.  I watched a footy game in Canberra played in the snow.  That was incredibly exceptional.  Made for an interesting spectacle though.  There are places in N.S.W., Victoria and Tasmania that get snow every year.  In some places they even have a ski season.  At times if I blink I will miss it.  At other times the cold lingers.
There is the occasional talk of us holding the winter Olympics.  That is really fraught though.  There is a real dependence on us having a good snow season.  That is not guaranteed.  When events are planned so far ahead, things being right can be so hit and miss.  We live in hope and all things being equal we will have it, but contingency plans are necessary.
In some places it seems snow is a way of life.  No snow is the exception.  If we saw snow here, we would all be on our mobiles taking pictures, and uploading them to the weather channel or sharing them with friends on Facebook.  Where snow is common place, taking photos of it is mostly reserved for tourists or strange locals.
It is real pretty though.  There is beauty everywhere.  There is beauty in a snowy landscape.  There is beauty in forests, or lakes, or mountains.  There is beauty in deserts.  It seems that no one place has a monopoly on it.  It does not seem to matter where it is, locals often refer to the beauty they see in their environment.
For me a place with snow is a “nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”  I don’t handle the cold well.  When I moved to Brisbane I thought it was soooo cold.  Being from the lowlands and Townsville towards the equator, probably dictated that. I am used to this place now, and although I visited Townsville once in summer, I never want to do it again, as it seemed just too hot.
What a fickle creature I am.  Too hot.  Too cold.  I guess I can take whatever is dished out to me in small doses.  It is sort of good to know I can return to a place I am used to though.