BOISE, Idaho — Some things just catch your eye. A truck full of snow people probably falls into that category.
“We're out here delivering snowmen. We got a truckload of snowballs and a round of deliveries to do so, we can get people setup for Christmas," said Keith Anderson.
Keith and his daughter Liva run the Anderson family side-business, snowman delivery. They have this down to a science
“We're out here delivering snowmen. We got a truckload of snowballs and a round of deliveries to do so, we can get people setup for Christmas,” Anderson said. “About five years. We've been doing this for about five years. Before Christmas it's extremely popular once the Christmas music stops, so to do the snowman sales generally."
The snowman game is a cold weather operation, but the conditions need to be just right.
“Today's Great. I mean, basically you have to go roll the snowballs at that right moment when it gets above freezing just after it snows. And in this case here, we were able to roll a bunch of high slush content balls that froze up and they've been frozen for over a week now. It looks like they'll be frozen for about another week,” Anderson said.
Maybe the specific crunch of the snow gives you a hint, the freezing temps are great for the survival of snowmen
“They've been really ideal conditions for snowmen,” Anderson said.
Liva will tell you; the snowman are a hit around town.
“It's really fun, cause, like, a lot of people love them and they smile," Liva said.
Let’s be clear though, the holiday magic takes work.
“Yeah. Some people say, Oh, you're an artist. But I think it's more like a laborer because honestly, between rolling the balls, moving the balls, transporting the balls, and I mean, there's a lot more work. You know, it's a fair amount of work,” Anderson said.
Having work, even if it’s in freezing cold, it’s good to have.
“I was unemployed when I started this. I was freshly laid off from a long term job and feeling like it was a disaster. And so this was a convenient springboard that led me on to other things.” Anderson said.
Now, Snowmen are a “sidebiz” for the Andersons. And business, and the weather, have been great for this.
“It's a lot of fun. Yeah, it's a lot of fun. And it's I mean, it's really taken off,” Anderson said.
As work on this snowman setup comes to a close, Keith and Liva are off to the next spot. On the way, these cold critters tend to warm up the people they pass.
“Going out with my daughter, frankly, watching the smiles around town. I mean, everything from, you know, putting him in the back of the truck to delivering them, to watching people get them. A lot of times their surprise deliveries. I mean, it's just smiles all around,” Anderson said.
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