PHOTO OF THE WEEK

-- Greg Fry

Winter in Southern California is an odd time for me as someone who was

born in Virginia. I grew up dealing with snow storms and ice, always

listening to the radio in the mornings hoping that school would be

canceled and I’d be able to go out sledding with my friends. When I came

to California, “snow days” were a thing of my past, and I think the only

day I missed from school -- except for faked illness -- was when the

students went on strike because the district changed our class schedule

and we didn’t like it.

When I got the “snow day” assignment at Hoag Hospital, it was like a

return trip to my youth, except the ocean was almost visible from the

site of the blizzard. Actually, it wasn’t a blizzard but a truck that

brought the snow to the kids this day, but the fun level was just the

same. Kids made snowmen, snow angels and, of course, blasted their

teachers with snowballs.

I think a little bit of that fun is illustrated in the picture I took

of 5-year-old Brett Daily going to bat against a snowball. Of course,

going back to my car with wet pants and cold ice down my shirt, deposited

there by an excited tyke, made for an uncomfortable drive to my next

assignment, but at least I enjoyed a little glimpse back to the snow days

of old.