ST. JOHN’S, NL — When you have lemons, you make lemonade. And when there’s snow, you make…penguins?
Much of Newfoundland is still digging itself out following a historic blizzard earlier this month that saw as much as 93 centimetres of snow in some parts. But rather than wallow in their newfound winter wonderland, Newfoundlanders continue to make the best of the situation with hilarious tweets and creative solutions to being snowed in.
Two of our favourite responses to the snow come courtesy of a group of party-goers and a teenager named Melissa Bazan, who all found an ingenious way to spread a little cheer during such chilly times.
First, the fun-loving group who overcame cabin fever by building the world’s ‘coolest’ tiki bar – literally! Facebook user Nicole Roper posted several videos and a photo of a snow fort that she presumably helped build, complete with a fireplace, fake palm trees, a firepit, umbrellas, a bar set-up, and a hung-up tapestry of a white sandy beach. A man wearing a parrot hat is seen dancing with a drink in his hand to the tune of Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.
The only thing missing in the fort was Buffett himself, strumming his guitar in the corner!
Credit: Facebook / Nicole Roper
Canadians ate it all up, with many commenting on the group’s positive outlook. Ann Sheeler wrote: “Mother Nature sent the snow to Newfoundland because God told her he made those people strong, happy, caring and fun loving. Way to make the most of a bad situation.”
Lea-Anne Anderson Martin also chimed in, writing: “There are no better spirited people on this planet than people from NFLD cheers to you all.”
In a similar move, teenager Melissa Bazan posted a TikTok video of the army of snow penguins she had built on her front lawn. In the short clip, there appears to be about 30 of the adorable snow statues while Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’ plays in the background.
@melissabazan04day 8 of the state of emergency… this took too long #cinematics #survivingwinter #foryoupage #foryou #fyp♬ #Me at the concert – #someonelikeyou
Credit: TikTok / @melissabazan04
This, too, was a big hit with Canadians. @robertbazzocchi felt particularly connected to the penguins, saying, “Why do I want to hug them”. @leah_autieandlace hilariously made a movie comparison, writing, “Happy Feet deleted scenes’, while @terralouise wrote, “This deserves to be seen everywhere.” And @samlichtman1 praised Bazan’s hard work, saying, “That is the dedication of a champion.”
To all of you making lemonade out of lemons in Newfoundland, we salute you!
