When life gives you snow . . . make snowmen and sell them? That is exactly what two enterprising entrepreneurs in China's Chengdu District, did when they were treated to a rare snowfall on February 10th, 2014.
The unidentified residents of the city's Longquanyi suburb began building perfectly-sized car top ice men complete with scarves, hats and buttons as soon as they saw the white powder falling from the skies. They then flagged down passing cars and started hawking their creations at a reasonable 20 Yuan ($3 USD) each. Those that wanted more unique structures like snow animals, had to pay 30 Yuan ($5 USD).
Whether it was their enterprising spirit, cute snowmen or just the novelty of seeing snow, the idea seemed to appeal to almost every driver that zipped by. If reports are to believed, by noon, the two men had sold over 100 of the temporary masterpieces. Things were not too shabby in the afternoon either. According to some estimates the entrepreneurs took home over 1,000 Yuan ($160 USD) that day. Not bad considering that the snow was free and they had fun playing with it, all day!
If selling snowmen is not your thing, how about building a massive one that will help bring a smile on the face of anyone that sees it. That, is what a Gilman, Minnesota farmer has been doing almost since the onset of the State's unusually harsh winter.
Greg Novak says that the idea of building the 50-foot tall snowman began when he needed to move the ever increasing snow piles away from his greenhouses. Thinking that he may as well channel the effort into something creative, Novak began work on what he calls 'Grandaddy'. Five weeks and countless hours later, the massive structure is ready to be admired. Just as Novak had hoped, it is attracting visitors from all the surrounding areas and more importantly, bringing a big smile on their faces. Maybe something to consider the next time your school declares a snow day?
Resources: odditycentral.com, sctimes.com