Legacy of the Dreams

Chapter 3 - Anticipating a Winter Storm

The morning of December 24th dawned brilliant, cold and clear. The sun shone like diamonds on the lake in a sky as blue as the clearest sapphire. The entire family awoke with the intension of relaxing, enjoying the scenery, and completing their preparations for Christmas day.

"What are you going to do today, Zack?" Jessie asked over breakfast.

"I dun know. I saw you guys built a snowman yesterday. Maybe me and Matt will build one," Zack said.

"We could," Chris said. "Or, we could build a snow fort. There's a good place for it back by that tree." He pointed across the yard.

"I wonder if we could build an igloo," Matt said thoughtfully. "That way the girls could help."

"How do you build an igloo?" Amber asked.

"Easy. You cut blocks of snow with a snow shovel, and stack them up. You put them in a circle and make the circle narrower with each row of blocks until it closes at the top. Then after it snows again, you have an igloo," Matt explained.

"Can we help?" Jessie asked, looking at Zack and Chris.

"Sure," the two boys said.

And after breakfast, that's what they did. Greg stayed inside this time, watching their efforts through the windows of the house from his chair by the fire, his coffee cup in his hand; until Melody came to find him.

"Out, Papa," she said, pulling on his pant leg as she stood beside his chair.

"I think you might be too little to help with the igloo, Melody," Greg told her.

"Did she help with the snowman?" Susan wondered.

"She did help us pat the snow down, but mostly she just watched," Greg said.

Susan arched her brow. "That's probably all she wants to do this time, Greg."

"Then maybe you can take her out?" Greg asked.

"I don't mind if I do. Come on, Melody. I'll go outside with you," Susan said.

But Melody frowned. "Papa," she insisted.

"That's you," Mr. Simms told the other man.

Greg glanced at him with a pained expression. He was thoroughly enjoying having his after-breakfast coffee while reading the newspaper by the fire. The idea of getting dressed up to go out into the cold didn't really appeal to him just now.

"Cherish it, Greg," Mr. Simms advised. "It won't last long."

"I do know that," Greg assured him. "Come on, Melody. Let Mama put your snowsuit on you, I'll get ready and we'll go outside."

Although Susan went with them, it was clear Melody wanted Greg there especially.

Greg set Melody on her feet along the path in the snow like he did the day before, and she began her slow walk in the direction of the snowman, using the wall of snow beside the path for balance. Greg and Susan followed behind, allowing Melody to set the pace. By the time they reached the corner of the yard designated for the igloo, Matt and Chris already had a circular area clear of snow, made by cutting blocks from it and arranging them around the perimeter as far as they would go. In places, the budding wall was two blocks high.

"You are going to need a lot of snow to make an igloo," Susan remarked when she saw their progress so far.

"Yeah, well, this whole yard is covered with snow, so I don't think we have a problem there," Matt said. He looked up for a moment from cutting the block he was working on and spotted Melody coming down the path towards them. Matt grinned. "Is she walking?" he asked Susan.