Years ago, on a late winter evening, I noticed my daughter was a bit pale as she was pulling on her hockey gear. The season was approaching its end so it just made sense to go and enjoy whatever ice time remained even though the weather was a bit iffy, too.

It ended up being a night she would always remember. It was the night of the thundersnow! From what I remember her hockey practice began ordinarily enough but then the heavens broke loose and it began to rain, hail, sleet, thunder, and snow. The kids had a ball. By the time my husband brought her home she was soaked and truly sick but she had had a great time. 

Ever since that night, when we get a freakish winter thunderstorm, she tells us the story of that weird, wondrous practice. 

I am sure something awful might have happened. Someone might have been struck by lightning. Someone might have caught an edge and fallen on the imperfect, dimpled ice. Someone might have caught pneumonia. Who knows? Who cares?  

It was a wonderful memory. I have loved how the Los Alamos Daily Post has covered the elections of the last few months. Just following all of the letters to the editor regarding the Recreation Bond has been a good civics lesson for a family with three teenagers like mine. No matter what your opinion is, it has made for good reading.

Lately though something has turned a bit creepy. Some of the letters have implied that if you are anti-Bond you might be willing to endanger local children. If the bond fails, they might have to skate on dangerous outdoor ice. They might suffer traffic accidents returning home from the rink late at night. Citizens could catch cold or get struck by lightning at local pools or ball fields. Spectators could be brutally beaned at softball games. Practically any bad thing one could imagine might happen.

Is this really how we want to live though – in fear? On a warm summer night back when the kids were little I remember sitting with some neighbors out on Walnut Canyon. We were making plans for the next day when one of the moms said her son would never be allowed to accompany the others to the playlot because someone told her they saw a cougar pawprint there. I found this odd.

In the years since this summer evening 15 years ago I have probably spent at least a couple years of my life at local playlots, parks and pools. Off-leash dogs have always been a problem but, all in all, the time spent has been safe and fun.

I have never felt a need for large, expensive indoor facilities in Los Alamos to help keep us safe. If I worry about anything it is that the County is far too safe. What will become of the kids when they leave for college in the big, wide world?

Having grown up in Springfield, Ohio about four blocks down from the huge twenty-six building International Harvester truck factory, I was never allowed to ride a bike because there was a lot of traffic and cycling was just something my parents deemed “unsafe”. Still not knowing how to ride a bike at the age of 52 I was concerned when cycling became my son’s passion. He completed the Tour of Gila a couple of weeks ago. It was incredible. Watching him ride in the peleton was fun and terrifying. Anything could happen and something did. A young pro rider injured in race died last week. Life is sad. It is never safe.

In a couple of weeks we will know the fate of the Recreation Bond. Life will go on. Memories will be made. Come next winter there might even be another thundersnow. We can only hope.

For now though I plan to spend the summer learning how to ride a bike.