Winter! That's for the Birds
Rituals in North Louisiana
Winter is a word of warning to Southerners. Knowing it's coming whether we like it or not, we brace for it. Water pipes are covered, we give reminders to drip faucets if it's going to be 32 degrees F or below. Plants are brought inside. (Hopefully all fur babies, too.) Firewood is chopped and made ready to bring warmth and coziness.
I live in north Louisiana specifically, so chances of hard freezes are no more than five times in the winter season. And those usually (and generally) dissipate overnight. But we do get frost quite often, which starts in late fall and ends in the early spring. Snow count is only about half an inch annually.
Nothing to brag about and nothing to make picture postcards with Frosty the snowman in the front yards where I live. Most of the time snow flurries don't stick and we go whole lifetimes without believing that each snowflake might have a pattern because what we see are only tiny flecks of white drizzle floating by, aggravating us, mostly.
To some here, excitement abounds that the "deer will be moving." That means better hunting, but more caution while driving. But it's really not much of a problem, because around here, if there is a slight risk of icy precipitation, roads and schools both close.
Every Southern mom prepares ahead of time with lots of snacks and hot chocolate should school closures occur. And should snow actually (and miraculously) accumulate, you can bet there will be snow ice cream made. There will be extra sugar, milk, and vanilla, just in case!
Really, all kitchens around here will have stocks of vegetables of which to make homemade soup in the crock pots, too. And there will be cornbread muffins to go along with that. And to top it of, a warm fruit cobbler that the snow ice cream would certainly go on top of.
Sometimes I make a big pot of chicken and dumplings on cold days or we have a delicious meal of corned beef and cabbage. (I know it makes the whole house stink,) but I slice apples to put on top of the cabbage while it's cooking and it somehow captures the "aroma." The whole point is to make meals that are hearty and stick with a person for when they brace to get out into the weather.
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So, this would be my winter rituals. Certainly not fancy by any means, but very practical ones. I'm older now and don't have kids to make snow ice cream for, but I still love cooking for my family.
If you get a chance, consider giving winter coats and gloves to shelters and orphaned/foster children's' homes. A little love goes a long way.
One other thing...please consider feeding birds throughout the winter. A whole lot of their energy is used for staying warm. I'm going to leave a few sites with ideas below, too. Remember, winter can be harsh on God's little friends. Take care of them and they will eat your summer bugs.
Footnote: Hi Vocal! Did you know that even though your rules for this challenge allows for a 500 word submission under the Humans category, that at when I tried, I met with (disapproval and no chance of publishing.) This is what your challenge rules stated: In order for your submission to qualify, it must be:
A personal essay or creative nonfiction piece.
Between 500 and 2,500 words.
Submitted to the Humans community. Your story will be disqualified if it is submitted to any other community.
Submitted before December 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
Your work must be original and unpublished.
So, now it is 600 words and I will submit for approval :)
About the Creator
Shirley Belk
Mother, Nana, Sister, Cousin, & Aunt who recently retired. RN (Nursing Instructor) who loves to write stories to heal herself and reflect on all the silver linings she has been blessed with :)
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Peace
I tossed and turned last night, was awoken several times by crazy dreams, my dog letting out gas that could gag a maggot, and my youngest son tromping in the kitchen scrounging for sweets. My head was already swimming because of the daylight savings time change. It was even in my favor, but my psyche wasn't having any joy in the extra hour. I thought about getting up but it was much too early for hot tea and much too nippy of weather to shower. We have been in the 40s and I just resolved to cover up with blankets and a furball who likes to snuggle and pretend to rest.
By Shirley Belk2 months ago in Humans
If You Love Me, You'll Do It
I met Jason when I was five years old. I could say that I loved him from the moment I saw him. He was so handsome to me and I felt in awe by his presence. When they introduced him as the new kid in school, I wanted to be his friend right away. I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember his smile and how he didn't seem shy. He appeared confident and ready to learn. I waved at him and said "hello," before anyone else could even say a word. He sat next to me, and I asked him if he wanted to be friends. He looked so happy as he said, "Yes!"
By Sidney Smith (Sid Smith)6 days ago in Fiction
Comments (12)
A delightful read. I was interested about looking out for the birds… here in Oz, we need to worry about drought rather than snow.
P.S. we don’t feed Kitchen scraps to the birds. We only feed them bird food from the Wild Birds Unlimited store and our kitchen scraps go in our green bin mixed in with the grass clippings and weeds and things like that. Long time bird watchers here, with many birdhouses and feeders. Unfortunately the Cooper’s Hawk makes daily visits to try to catch one of the birds that makes a mistake. She needs to eat too, but it does cause me some distress, along with gasping when I see her, because she’s so beautiful. 😻
Agree with Bill. We feed the birds in Pacific NW year ‘round. Where we are sometimes we get snow but hardly ever and there’s plenty to eat for the birds, but we like to see the birds so that’s why we feed them. We keep the feeders clean we keep the bird bands clean we planted shrubs and some small trees and made it more Bird and critter friendly. That’s why I write these haiku’s about the frogs. I’m not sure which challenge this is but great job and good luck.
This is great, Shirley! You taught me something new. I had never considered doing an acrostic that was a series of paragraphs telling a story. I never knew anything about acrostics at all until I came to Vocal. I've written several but nothing like this. I'll check out your birds soon! I wrote a whole series of haikus about birds. I have just returned to Vocal after being away for a while. I'll check out these other stories of yours soon. ⚡💙 Bill⚡
Your reminder to care for the birds is beautiful such a gentle, compassionate touch that fits perfectly with the tone of the piece.
Naice
Shirley, thank you for sharing some Southern winter reflections with us! My mouth is now watering for corned beef and cabbage, most definitely with the added topping of sliced apples. As an avid birder, kudos to you for thinking about our feathered friends!💖
This is such a warm, comforting, and quintessentially Southern reflection on winter! I loved reading about the practical rituals from covering water pipes to stocking up on ingredients for that delicious homemade soup, cornbread, and, of course, the legendary snow ice cream! Even without much snow, you capture the true spirit of cozy preparation and making hearty meals for family. I love snow cream!
This was such a cozy and comforting read, I could feel the southern winter traditions come to life. I've never had cornbread, I really want to try it one day!
Oh wow, that's such a neat trick with the apple slices. So fascinating! I loved your winter ritual!
What a fun read! I loved learning more about your winter rituals Shirley! Thx 4 sharing!🥰
I'm originally from Massachusetts, so anything less than 4 inches is considered flurries. When I lived in Texas, I found it comical that the mere mention of snow in the forecast and the stores would be sold out of milk and toilet paper. People do adapt to their surroundings,