I first did this page in 1997 for my friends in Australia that had never seen snow. So I figured since we have far more snow than we need every year, I could be magnanimous and share the wealth. Ok, maybe I wasn't really being generous, I just get sick of the stuff and I'll get rid of it any way I can!

A white Christmas is fine, but come on...this is starting to get ridiculous!

Over the years, I've had a lot of emails from people all over the world that really like snow, and when they move away from the north country they actually miss it. Minnesota has a very diverse climate, ranging from cold, cold, cold to hot, hot, hot, so we get a taste of it all. I don't know if I'd miss the snow or not...when it's near 100F here in the summer then I think it sounds pretty good. But when it looks like these photos outside, I come to my senses!

All snow lovers, wherever you are, this is for you. I hope these photos let you see something you never saw before, bring back some good memories, or just plain make you feel a little bit cooler.

To see the full size photos, click on the images.

The sign to the left of the building reads "Welcome to Good Thunder". Yeah, well sure, if you can FIND it...the rest of the sign reads "A Unique Village with a Rich Heritage". Yeah, right, a rich heritage of snow and ice....and Indians and settlers as well. Good Thunder was established near the Maple River, where an Indian trail crossed it. Today that spot is the canoe access for the river. A band of Winnebago Indians led by Chief Good Thunder settled here, and the elementary school is on the site of the Indian's summer camp. For years it was known as "Good Thunder's Ford" but Good Thunder is mouthful enough, so we're grateful they shortened it!

The town is actually named after two Indians named Good Thunder, not just one (what are the odds of that? So was "Good Thunder" the Indian equivalent of "Smith" or "Jones"?) In 1889, while planning a 4th of July celebration, the people of the Village wanted to have Chief Good Thunder as their guest. They found that he had died, and heard about another Chief Good Thunder, this man a Dakota, who had been a hero in the Sioux Uprisings in 1862. He was a Christian, felt loyalty to both sides during the Uprising, and did what he could to help the settlers. He was invited to the celebration and the town was re-named after him. Even today during the town's summer Pioneer Indian Days celebration, the Good Thunder family attends and rides in the parade.

Yep, that's my mailbox, at least the top of it. If you want to get in touch with me, it's best to email. That, at least, I can get to. Walking to the mailbox is not so much actually "walking" to the mailbox when the snow piles up like this as much as it is plowing through it with your body. The worst is when it gets this great crust on top and you think you have it made, you'll just walk across the top. And sometimes you do...and sometimes you fall in. Once, I was in up to my waist...and had to set a baby on the "top" of the snow to crawl out!

Under that snow there is a patio somewhere, and a table and a BBQ grill, which makes it difficult to throw another shrimp on the barbie (yes, we do that too, and believe it or not we have been known to BBQ in a snowstorm.) Actually even getting in the house can be a challenge sometimes, but we are HARDY! Or crazy. Or maybe a bit of both.

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©1997-2000 Sara Froehlich and Northlite Web Design

This page was last updated on November 7, 2000