Snow snow snow

No one should get the idea that Beijing is a snowy place.  The climate here is normally quite dry.  However lately, it would be easy to make that mistake.  Sunday we had a snowstorm AGAIN.  It was heavy and wet and slick enough that we were unable to make it to Mass.  When we were following some of the Beijing-based Twitterati, too, we learned that the snow was much heavier in the northern parts of Beijing, especially outside the 5th Ring Road.  Since we live outside the Sixth Ring, we really got hammered.

By late afternoon, though, the snow had stopped falling and some of the roads were mostly clear. On November 1, Randy was at the Great Wall on a snowy day and he hoped that the rest of us would get to experience something like that.  Sunday we drove side roads to get to the Great Wall location closest to us, Juyongguan.

What an amazing sight it is! The Great Wall in snow is really something to see, like something out of a myth.  Sunday's snow was exceptionally wet and heavy, so it clung to everything.

Myles' first order of business was to make snow angels under the Great Wall. Check!

Then he wanted to start a snowball fight on the Great Wall. Check!

Haven't you read about the epic snowball battles the Qing had with these cannons?

Hey, who let Randy have the camera?

We would feel differently about snow if we had to shovel it ourselves, or if is had been the type of lingering snow mess we are used to in Pennsylvania.  However, when it comes and goes like this, a surprise every time, what's not to love?  Or rather, why not just give in and enjoy it?