Snow Drifts
Since Christmas Eve I have been photographing the large snow drifts around my home. Slowly, they are disappearing into muddy puddles. It is hard to imagine at one time they were pieces of art created by wind.
-Sarah Phipps
The classic sled
Claire McCoy's pulls her sled on hill in the Trails neighborhood, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, in Edmond, Okla. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Claire McCoy climbed an ice-covered hill in her Edmond neighborhood dragging her sled behind her.
She met her father, Mark, on top of the hill and together they inspected the sled.
“We can fix that. We can put a screw in there,” he told her.
The old sled is a hand-me-down. It is a treasure from her mother’s childhood. It is slightly beaten up and is missing a wood plank.
“It is a classic,” Claire explained.
Her father said they have tried all types of sleds including plastic ones, inner tubes and even improvised sleds such as cardboard boxes and plastic storage bin tops. But nothing beats the trusty wooden and metal sled.
“It is the best sled,” Claire said. ” It goes the fastest.”
As Claire prepares to take one last run, a pair of neighborhood boys walk up with their modern sleds. Claire’s father told her to quickly go down the hill and show them how much faster her classic can go.
He then gave her a running push and she zoomed off down the hill.
Mark McCoy pushes Claire McCoy, 12, down a hill in the Trails neighborhood, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, in Edmond, Okla. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Claire McCoy's pulls her sled on hill in the Trails neighborhood, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, in Edmond, Okla. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Claire McCoy, 12, pulls her sled up a hill in the Trails neighborhood, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, in Edmond, Okla. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Claire McCoy, 12, sleds on hill in the Trails neighborhood, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, in Edmond, Okla. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
Record snowfall
Staff Photographers from The Oklahoman headed out into the snowstorms over the weekend to look for pictures. On Christmas eve, Jim Beckel got stuck at the airport, Paul Southerland went to El Reno and was stuck in the snow out there for hours. Here’s a few of the many images that were sent in over the weekend.
A driver receives help after getting stuck on Britton Road in Oklahoma City Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009. By Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
Julie Nelson shields her daughter Caiden Cauwell, 3, from the weather as she does some last-minute shopping in Norman Thurs. Dec. 24, 2009. By Jaconna Aguirre, The Oklahoman
Rosario Riley shiellds her face from blowing snow as she leaves Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City on Dec. 24, 2009, after her flight to Cleveland was cancelled. By Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman
Kristin Dong, 8, makes tries out her new inline skates on ice in her yard on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009, in Norman, Okla. By Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman
A front-end loader removes snow around an abandonded car on E.K. Gaylord and Robert S. Kerr. Many spent Christmas Day, Dc. 25, 2009, digging out from record snow storm that dumped 14 inches of severe winter storm in the Oklahoma City area. By Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman
-John Clanton
