December 26, 2012 my son and I flew to Pittsburgh, PA. to enjoy a white Christmas. Granted my four year-old son was disappointed when the plane landed and he saw no snow. I assured him that the snow was coming. After we collected out luggage a friend picked us up. During the drive my son was still disappointed because I had promised snow. Again I assured him that snow was to fall today. Within fifteen minutes of the drive the snow began to fall, and fall, and fall.
I am so happy I was not driving by the time we got to my aunts house a good eight inches had fallen. It was not the light fluffy snow; a mix of wet heavy sleet, ice, and snow was falling. And it kept falling. This former Pittsburgh native now Florida transplant got his fill of shoveling snow, breaking ice off the sidewalk, and scraping ice off of the car.
My son and I were inseparable. We had several adventures. We made a snowman shortly after arriving at my Aunts home. During sled riding he learned how to identify rabbit, squirrel, and raccoon tracks in the snow. He drove a salt truck, a front loader, a snow plow, and road in the Duquesne Incline.
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My son even had bladder emergency after we left Ohiopyle. Darren had picked us up to scope out a stretch of the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle. There was no store along the country road we were traveling on. So my son had his first pee outside in the snow. Yes, this Daddy is proud to say his son learned to write in the snow.
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All of this led up to Darren and my epic adventure December 31, 2012 on Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle. The morning reached a high of 35’F from a morning low of 22’F. Midday during our portage snow did begin to fall. The total amount of snow reached a reported inch.
I will post the rest of the story in five days…
– Jeff
Liquid Rhythm Adventures' Journal 