Long Islanders warm and fuzzy for first snowy blast
Jim Carr of Huntington walks his dog, Cooper, through Heckscher Park in Huntington Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. Saturday's snowfall was a first for Cooper, a rescue from Louisiana that Jim adopted two months ago. Credit: Barry Sloan
Long Island was being blanketed with a soft layer of snow 12 days before winter as some frolicked and others shopped for the holiday season — or weather-related supplies — on Saturday.
Despite forecasts for several inches of snow, Long Islanders ventured out, with some still clinging to the mild fall.
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Robert Ammirati, 60, a photographer in Huntington. “I came out with my shorts on.”
Here’s a look at how some Long Islanders spent the first snowstorm of the season.
A rescue dog sees his first snow
Jim Carr, 42, software tech company worker, took his 19-month-old rescue dog Cooper for a walk through Heckscher Park in Huntington on Saturday. The dog kept jumping in excitement to nearly the height of his owner.
“It’s his first experience in the snow. He’s a rescue from Louisiana,” said Carr, who has had the dog for only two months.
“It’s lovely. It’s a great reason to get in the snow,” he added. “Without him I don’t think I’d be walking here.”
Far from Dallas, hunting for an ice brush
Lori Anderson brought her retired service dog, Aggie, to Home Depot in Huntington — where the parking lot was packed with people. She was picking up an ice brush and WD-40 for locks.
Anderson is from Dallas and is staying with family in Huntington temporarily while undergoing cancer treatment at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Hospital.
Though she said she’s not used to snow — a frost in Texas virtually shuts down everything — she said she’s glad to be here while it’s snowing.
“We like it very much because it’s Christmas, so it’s appropriate,” Anderson said. “We don’t have very much snow where I’m from.”
No matter what, a grocery store run
Howard Thompson wasn’t going to let a few inches of snowfall stop him from stocking the refrigerator.
The 40-year-old Central Islip resident made his way to the Marketplace at Brentwood on Saturday evening for milks and eggs.
Despite the weather, the father of two figured anything — including the storm — was better than waking up and driving to the grocery store Sunday morning.
“I’m kind of surprised. It usually doesn’t snow this much so early in the winter,” Thompson said.
There’s snow enough for ‘pelting’
The Mitchell family was hanging out at the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington.
Gosia Mitchell, 41, teaches English as a new language at Hicksville High School.
“I’m from Poland. This is nothing. What snow?” she joked.
But having the snow? “It makes it beautiful. It’s in the Christmas spirit.”
She was with her 7-year-old son, Ian, and her husband, Bob Mitchell.
Ian had been pelting his dad with snowballs before they got to the museum. “I like getting him dirty,” he said.
Staying warm outside by the fire
J. Van Cott Nurseries in Greenlawn has a huge red “Seasons greetings” sign in tinsel that is at least six feet wide and a few feet tall. Workers wore camouflage-pattern ponchos and gathered around a fire that was made from leftover landscaping bits of bark.
Jim Van Cott, who said he was helping out at his family business, said it’s typically their busiest weekend, noting that “it hasn’t stopped.”
Worker Lucas Perdomo said the fire was popular for customers and workers alike: “The fire makes everybody happy when the fingers frost.”
‘Perfect snow’ and a dog at Cold Spring Harbor park
David and Trine Breskin of Huntington brought their dog, Tazz, on a hike at Cold Spring Harbor State Park. They said they had hoped to beat the snow before the hills became too slippery, but it started sprinkling toward the end of their walk.
David, 62, who is in sales, said, “This is the perfect snow. This is the same thing as candles at home. It’s ambience.”
Trine, 54, said she looked forward to spending the day cooking — she’s a chef — and being in front of the fireplace: “It couldn’t be more perfect timing. You’re in that mood, the Christmas mood.”
A night for gingerbread houses
Yattie Matos was worried to leave home Saturday evening until she stepped outside.
“It’s not as bad as everyone is making it out to be,” said the 34-year-old mother of two.
She had a taste for crab legs and drove to Marketplace at Brentwood to pick up the seafood and ingredients for the gingerbread house she and her kids planned to make Saturday night. She said she’s glad the weather didn’t stand in her way.
“We thought it would be worse than this,” Matos said, holding her kids’ hands.With John Asbury
Rachelle Blidner covers Suffolk County government, politics and breaking news.
