WINSTON WEEKLY^[1]

December 15, 2024

Vol. 2, No. 50

WINTER WONDERS[2]

Having grown up in Wisconsin, it is admittedly comical that I have been complaining about this week’s “bitter” weather in KC. The low only reached 29 but seemed bone-chilling. Finding myself in a funk more than a week before winter begins, I shifted my thoughts to some things that make winter wonderful.

From snowflakes to hot chocolate to snow angels to sledding, winter joy abounds. The temperature determines the shape and crystals of snowflakes. Despite their white appearance, they need dirt to form and grow as they descend from the clouds. Most of us are familiar with the endless stories from Buffalo, New York’s annual snowfalls, but many may not know that Capracotta, Italy had more than 100 inches of snow during 24 hours in 2015! While there may not have been joy in that much snow, stories about the massive snowfall will likely live on for generations.

Sledding originated in America in the 1860s, although sleds carved from rock were used for convenience and labor in the Egyptian deserts as early as 1900 B.C.  Henry Morton invented the wooden toboggan in the 1860s, bringing excitement to snowy hillsides. Tobogganing and sledding merged to become known as bobsledding and eventually led to the Luge and Skeleton. Although toboggans have a rich history, many memories have been created from inner tubes, trash can lids, and plastic bags.  

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY Consider how and why certain sledding devices skim the surface while others are sluggish and take on more snow. If you could design your own sled, what would it be, what would be involved in building it, and how much would it cost? If you could create a popular winter sport or a new winter activity, what would it be?

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[1] Copyright December 15, 2024. Winston Weekly is a weekly newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles available at www.baylesconnect.com or by e-mail at baylesconnect@gmail.com. Please feel free to share with the appropriate attribute.

[2] Resources: Calie Herbst, 50 Mind-Blowing Facts About Snow For Kids (2024), www.mkewithkids.com; Abby Drezewski, Glide through the history of sled riding; Dec. 18, 2022, www.thehillernewspaper.org; Larry Dane Brimner, Bobsledding and the Luge, Scholastic Library Publishing, 1997.