Did you ever "cheat" when building a snow ho?

[Charmonium]

Welcome to the twinkle zone.

Imagine . . . if you will, that you live someplace that only sees snow (not that kind) only a few times per year - max. And what snow you get doesn't have very good "structural stability." You know that either you're going to have gather all of the snow in a one mile radius to build anything at all, or worse, before the idea is fully formed in your mind (don't smoke drugs kids), the snow will already be starting to melt. What can a child do but use their fabled imagination to think outside the slush?

Of course there's no such thing as cheating in this context. You say your dad is a backhoe operator. Cool, rev that sucker up. But if you're not that lucky, what else can you do? Well, no one is going to see the snow inside your completed snowman so whose to say that there isn't any? I mean, why not use something like branches or cinder blocks or cow pies for the structural support and just cover that with what little snow you have?

But you stop for a moment and think, ok, but happens when the snow melts and your deception is revealed? Where's my passport and do I have enough for a ticket to Lithuania? But then you stop again and think, well, this is pretty ingenious and everyone loves a snowman even if it isn't a "purebred."

So. What would YOU do. What DID you do?

 

[crashtech]

We've employed an inverted 5 gallon bucket for the lower portion, but that's about it. I've seen videos where a tree stump is used , this does not end well for the hooligans who try to run poor Frosty over with their car.

 

[Spacehead]

1st of all, never heard of a "snow ho".

2nd, when we built a snowman it was all snow, but we had plenty to work with.

 

[Charmonium]

I've seen videos where a tree stump is used , this does not end well for the hooligans who try to run poor Frosty over with their car.

Hahahaha. So perfect. Nothing more to say.

1st of all, never heard of a "snow ho".

There's no such thing in the literal sense. But I'm pretty sure if you look up snow ho in Urban Dictionary, at least one (if not all) of the entries be something like 'a woman who will gleefully exchange sex for cocaine - and not the cheap shit.'

 

[compcons]

Interesting concept. I have lived in Northern IL my entire life. If the snow isn't good for building, we just wait a few days and some of the nasty wet stuff usually falls eventually. It never occurred to me to try to force a build with that shitty, powdery stuff.

It's interesting that it snows just enough for some people that they feel the need to use what they get.

This week was the light powder not worth building with but it is slippery enough for sledding. Of course, this is usually when it is super dry and well under 25 F so it's less fun being out in it.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I can't say I ever have since there was always more than enough snow.

Been a long time since I did any of that though. I always think building some kind of ice castle in the front yard would be kind of fun to do a cool Christmas/winter display with lights etc but our winters are so weird now, they are not consistent enough. We get melts right in middle of the season sometimes. So you put in all that effort and it could melt a month later with no notice.

If I needed a filler for anything I would probably just use water. Freeze it in large buckets outside and then use the ice as the main body then put snow around it. That way when it does melt there is nothing left behind.

What would be cool is an ice 3D printer. You feed it water and it would print something in ice. Could make cool sculptures and stuff.


Last year someone made a giant snow man that became an attraction for a while:

Colossal snowman a huge attraction

Connaught-area resident created it for his grandchildren but it's piqued the interest of passersby

www.timminspress.com

 

[Captante]

Sadly when you grow up and have to do stuff snow = more work.

Really takes the fun out of making snow-men and such!

 

[Charmonium]

I'm pretty sure that I must have built snowmen, but I can't recall a single instance in any sort of detail. I think I mostly just help people build theirs.

Honestly though, I never got the point and I really should have. I lived in Southern Alabama and it was newsworth when water outside froze. I don't know if it ever actually made the news, but then remember that part about living in deep backwoods of AL? So, it definitely made the news. I can remember one morning getting in the car to go to school and I saw a frozen puddle. I was beside myself. There were some other people around too who were amazed.

So one might think that I would be down right ecstatic at moving to NJ and snow country. Nope. It can be very pretty but as with most wild things, it's best to observe from afar where the wind and cold, frozen fingers and toes aren't an issue.

 

[skyking]

the bucket inside the bottom does solve some structural issues, I like it.