As I wake from my frozen slumber, I feel an icy chill move through my body as the wind whistles through the cracks of my house. Slowly I rise from my bed. With each movement I can feel my bones creak from frozen stiffness. My breath turns to ice as I make my way to the window for a peek at the winter wasteland. Drifts stretch for as far as the eye can see. I must go outside and do my chores. I methodically clamber into my insulated coveralls, pull on my boots and hat. As I twist the knob on the door, an icy breeze pushes snow inside the house so I quickly jump outside.

After an hour I trudge inside. I pull off my icy clothes and a tingle of heat comes over my body. Mom has just told me that "School has been canceled." I start to leap for joy but my leap is cut short by my father's piercing words - "Great, now you can help me outside today." Once again I must put on my frozen clothes and trudge outside to freeze once more. Oh well, that's life in rural America. c