The Best Grandfather Ever Builds Snow Throne For Granddaughter
While my friends and I were driving back from Shady Glenn, Manchester's famous 50s-style burger and ice-cream joint, we didn't think the day could get better. Then we saw this:
Luckily, it's creator was working on it as we stopped to get a better look. We stopped the car and I raced up to the man. He came out from behind the snow fortress/throne with a big smile--probably used to people stopping in front of his house to take a look at his creation.
His name is John Babew, a resident of Manchester. He told me the whole fort was built for his Granddaughter, Janiyah, who will be visiting him soon from Sarasota, FL and has never seen snow.
Babew said he gathered the snow from his yard, the roof of his house and from the snowbanks in nearby parking lots. It started out small in the center and grew from there. He said it was "really easy." Sure John, piece of cake. But really, I think if I tried to do the same thing it would be like:
For those of us who were born and raised in New England, it gets to the point where snow is nice a couple times of the year, but after that we're DONE. Time for Summer now, please.
For southern kids, it's a different story. 15 years ago, my cousins from Virginia visited my family in Rhode Island. Amanda, who was eight years old and had never seen snow, nearly had a conniption when she thought she did. She shot up from the table and ran out to the patio to take a closer look. She would have broken the door down had it not been left open. When she got outside, she stopped dead in her tracks and slumped to her knees. I can't describe the look of disappointment on her face when she discovered the patch of white was only a melted marshmallow. A melted marshmallow is pretty pathetic to look at, but when you go out expecting to find a magical patch of microscopic water crystals, it's simply abysmal. What was a marshmallow doing melting on the patio in the winter time you ask. Nothing, because this happened in July.
Amanda was so excited to see snow, her mind skipped over the fact that snow doesn't happen in 80 degree weather. In her mind it was a magical northern thing that just occurred. Considering that Amanda nearly seized when she thought she saw snow, can you imagine what 3-year-old Janiyah is going to do when she sees this:
If you walk around the back, there's a path to the top:
It's sturdy enough to support even the biggest, burliest, most masculine, able-bodied of men, which I tested for obvious reasons.
You'll notice a functioning slide to my right. There aren't any pictures because although Babew warned me the slide wasn't ready, I tried it anyway, slipped and awkwardly skidded my way down, acquiring a massive, not-so-manly wedgie, and no one needs to see that. Rest assured, the slide will work.
Within the giant chair, Babew carved out a smaller chair fit for a three-year-old, possibly making the first ever booster seat fashioned from snow.
For kicks, Babew fixed the inside of the snow castle with a light so Janiyah could play inside.
To recap what we're looking at: A snow castle that is also a thrown/booster seat hybrid that is also a giant igloo... with a slide. John Babew, you just won winter.
