IN THE LAND OF ICE AND SNOW

Dedicated to Grandpa Earl, who made magic happen…

THE WONDER YEARS

Winters in Minnesota are cold. Although this is well known, it still seems to shock visitors who arrive in December or January, but to those who live there, it’s life. Hannah worked at the airport just before college, and as she would walk around outside with her parka unzipped, she’d noticed people dragging luggage staring at her as they clung to their coats, trying not to cry for fear their faces would freeze. Yes, come to Minnesota and you will quickly adapt or die.

Hannah loved how her childhood winter memories would flood in. Of snow days, snowmen, snow forts and snowball fights. Of hot chocolate and icicles. And of course, outdoor winter sports.

Famous for being the land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota was the perfect place to find any size frozen body of water to turn into a broom hockey field, ice skating rink, or potential sled-pull racetrack. It helped that Hannah was a tomboy and a control freak, and at 12 years old, she was able to organize the neighborhood kids into competitive events no matter how cold it was outside. The only problem was Max, the tall kid from her class who always teased her and tried to act like the team leader. Who cared if he was the best skater and could throw a mean icy snowball across distance and maybe take someone out? Hannah didn’t want to dislike him and tried really hard not to frown every time he was around.

The little neighborhood pond across the main road from their school turned out to be too small for the growing numbers, so she decided it was time to go out and find a better local rink for their games. Her brother Kurt discovered a terrific spot of land that had the best sledding hills and wooded areas for exploration, along with a great big frozen pond. They immediately claimed it as their own, neglecting to look for any no-trespassing signs. Excited, the group began trekking over there with walking sticks and shovels to clear the lake in preparation for the fun that was certainly in their future.

When the snow was really deep, it was hard to cover their tracks, but it didn’t stop them. The lure of adventure outweighed any consequences. But the funny thing about snow is that when it’s super cold, it doesn’t matter that the sun is shining brightly. The snow will not melt. But it will crunch under your feet. And that’s how they got caught.

They realized something was wrong the afternoon they heard the roar of a Jeep coming down the hill toward their clearing spot on the pond. Hannah watched in awe as the vehicle flew down the hillside sending plumes of shimmering snow everywhere. Instantly the jeep stopped and a large man exited, obviously not happy and charging toward them.

“What are you kids doing here? I could hear you from a quarter mile away! This is private property, and you have no right to shovel this lake or sled on these hills!”

Everyone froze in place, like ice statues. Hannah knew she had to speak up. But as she moved, Max stepped in front of her.

“Sir, we didn’t know it was private. Please, we only wanted to find a good place to play our winter sports, and we haven’t hurt anything. We didn’t know this was your land.”

Irritated that Max had spoken first, Hannah walked over to the man. “Hi, my name is Hannah. We’re just school kids from town. Please mister, don’t get us in trouble.”

The man took a step back, analyzing the situation. Hannah could see there was a change in his demeanor and smiled at him. In turn, he looked down, grinned, and rubbed his hands together.

“Ok kids, I can see what’s going on here, and let me tell you what we’re going to do. If you want to play here, let’s make it a real rink. I have a small plow and will clear the pond to half Olympic size. You need to promise that you will do the upkeep. Winter is hard, but it doesn’t last forever. In my mind, you have two months before the thaw to enjoy the lake and woods. See up there? The stone house on the hill? That’s where I live. If you need anything, you are welcome to come visit. For now, go home, and let me figure out how to Zambezi this pond.”

Hannah didn’t know what Zambezi meant, but ushered everyone home, uneasy but happy that they had survived a potential crisis. Max was jovial and walked alongside, pushing her with his shoulder.

“Good job Hannah, we won’t have to explain ourselves to our parents!”

“Come on Max, you got him to listen and stop yelling. Maybe we can call a truce and just be friends from now on, ok?”

“I thought we were friends, but ok, I’m still a better skater than you are!”

And with that he ran off, and she didn’t see him again for over ten years.

THE WONDERING YEARS

Hannah found out that Max’s parents had unexpectedly moved the family to Wisconsin that winter, and that was it. He was gone, and she and her friends had to enjoy their winter season without him.

As time passed, her curiosity got the best of her and she found herself visiting the house on the hill, fascinated by what she discovered. The owner, Earl Norberg was an immigrant from Sweden, and had lived in the area since childhood. He had been a conductor on the Pacific Northwest Railroad, ticketing passengers traveling from the Twin Cities to Seattle. He loved to film his journeys, and with his 8mm camera in hand would lean out the side of the train and capture glorious scenery and mind-blowing drop-offs as the train traveled the edges of the Rocky Mountains bordering Canada. Now retired, his life was sedentary and lonely. His wife had passed away and he chose to seclude himself in his house on the hill outside town. Somehow these children brought purpose back into his life, and he was rejuvenated.

Hannah was mesmerized by his stories and his collection of interesting items from his travels. A magnifying glass with an ivory handle from Banff Canada, an exotic butterfly shadow box from Idaho, and most of all, his collection of books on local birds, complete with hand drawings. Her brother Kurt would accompany her on walks with Earl around the property during springtime, where they could collect raspberries and blueberries to their hearts delight, learning to be patient while the chipmunks climbed up their legs to get their share. Year after year they would spend hours of their free time digging in Earl’s attic for treasures, swimming in the pond during summer, raking leaves in autumn, clearing the pond for winter games, and laughing at his poorly made hot chocolate. It was beyond special being with him, like a third grandfather you had just discovered, whose influence would be life changing.

Inevitably time moved on, and when Hannah was a senior in college, she heard that Earl had passed away. All she could think about was that the once lively pond was now silent. She mourned him deeply, as she tried to focus on her finals and prep for graduation.

It was spring again, easily the best time to live in Minnesota. Not cold, not hot, and thankfully the mosquitos weren’t active yet. Lilac bushes were blooming everywhere, sending their glorious scent wafting across her parents backyard. Perfect for a graduation celebration outdoors, and her parents threw great parties. Hannah was blessed with a large extended family which made for lively conversation and lots of laughter. Being the center of attention suited her, and she loved meandering through the crowd, hugging all her family and friends.

And then she saw him.

Max was still tall, and now at 23 years old, unbelievably handsome. He was standing near the willow trees in the corner of the yard, speaking to her Aunt Maggie. When he locked eyes with her, she felt her knees about to buckle.

“Hello Max, nice to see you.”

“Hannah. Congratulations on your graduation.” He reached out to shake her hand, but instead she surprised herself and pulled him in for a hug.

“Thanks! Are you back in Inver Grove, or just visiting?”

“Actually, my folks just bought a house in Eagan, and I’m helping them get settled. I graduated USC and will be headed back there for my master’s program in the fall. Heard you were having a bash, so here I am to congratulate my old childhood rival and friend!”

Smiling, she couldn’t resist teasing him. “Rivals? I think I had the drop on you back then, but I’d love to catch up, maybe hear all about California.”

“Sure thing, Hannah.” He nodded, excused himself, and walked away.

Hannah threw caution to the wind as spring break turned into lazy summer days, most of which were spent with Max. She fully embraced what seemed to be a developing relationship, which was new for her, as she naturally guarded her heart. And yet here was Max, full of energy and ideas, bursting at the seams with enthusiasm for every aspect of life. The idea of ‘just friends’ was definitely becoming a challenge.

She made sure that they had time to visit some of the childhood places that Max would remember. The school, the pizza parlor and bowling alley, and of course, the woods. Returning to Earl’s property was magical, as she was able to share all the stories and adventures which had made him so endearing. Walking around the front of the house they saw a huge NO TRESPASSING sign.

She gazed over the pond, watching a swarm of dragonflies hovering over the water. “I don’t remember Earl mentioning any immediate family, so I wonder what will happen to this place. Earl always made sure that he respected the land, the wildlife, and the environment. I’d hate to see that legacy violated.”

Max was quiet, standing on the hillside staring toward the woods. Hannah left him alone, wondering if he was saddened that he’d be off to California soon. She knew that it was imminent and decided not to think about it.

August came quickly and the best of the summer was gone, leaving only thunderstorms and an unexpected heat wave. Hannah said her goodbyes to Max on her front porch, overwhelmed as he leaned down and kissed her. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and looked up into his face. “I’ll see you when I see you, right Max?”

“Yes, Hannah, you will.” And he was gone again.

WONDERMENT

It was that October when Hannah received a letter from an estate attorney, advising her that she had inherited a local property consisting of a house and 5 acres of land. EARL. He had no heirs and had changed his will a year before he died, but never told her. Thankfully her job as a paralegal at a prestigious law firm allowed her to pay for the taxes and renovations, and she moved in just before Christmas.

As she prepared to host a tree trimming party to welcome in the holidays there was a loud knocking at her door. “Come on! It’s WAY too early, people!” Exasperated, she threw the door open and gasped. Max was standing there with a poinsettia plant.

“Apparently, I can’t stop crashing your parties.” Hannah leaned on the door, then stepped aside and let him back into her life.

California was over, Minnesota had won. Max had found his way home, to Hannah and the pond they loved, where winter days glisten and their children would play. Hannah’s heart was full, and every day, thanked a remarkable man named Earl, who made magic happen.