It's OK to eat the pink snow

[journey11]

I just wanted to share a fun idea with you guys that have little kids/grandkids... DD6 and I filled a spray bottle with food coloring water and painted the snow. We had a blast! We built a little snowman (woman?) and spray painted it pink and also wrote Valentine's sentiments and hearts in the yard for my DH to see when he comes home. Technicolor snow is much more fun.

We were only supposed to get a dusting with that big storm today, but we got 4 inches of heavy, wet snow on top of what we already had. I had an appt today that I had already rescheduled 3 times, so I decided to brave it. Might not have been the best idea, but I went slow and careful and we made it. On the way out, we saw a man who had flipped his SUV on its side into a ditch coming off our hill. He must have taken it too fast. By 2pm though, when we came home the roads were clear. Supposed to get more tomorrow and Saturday, I hear.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Haha, fun! There actually is a poisonous snow that's pink : called watermelon snow. I cant remember what the deal is with it, some kind of toxic cold loving bacteria maybe.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Haha, fun! There actually is a poisonous snow that's pink : called watermelon snow. I cant remember what the deal is with it, some kind of toxic cold loving bacteria maybe.

I don't remember where I read about it, but I know exactly what you're talking about. It is a bacteria that makes the snow pink and poisonous, that's all that I can remember. Maybe resulting from something getting into the snow to encourage the growth of the bacteria?

 

[journey11]

Ooops, better retract my statement then. LOL

Never heard of it...probably occurs in the Antarctic or something?

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Yeah, I'm thinking either the far far north or the far far south.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

It's an algae.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_snow

 

[journey11]

Says it is so pink it will stain your shoes and pants cuffs!

 

[thistlebloom]

What a creative thing to do with snow Journey! You could put green coloring in your squirt bottle and do some garden planning!

 

[journey11]

Hahaha...yeah! I'm just about to go out there and paint myself some grass and flowers and veggies!

 

[NwMtGardener]

Yeah, I'm thinking either the far far north or the far far south.

Yes, we get it way way up in the mountains, next to permanent snowfields and glaciers. Algae in the snow, how crazy!!