Cold White Stuff

Yesterday I was up early, and thought I heard a faintly familiar scrapping sound outside. It was very rhythmic in the quiet hush of the morning. I look to the gap in the front room curtains and was puzzled to see complete whiteness. Strange I thought, it usually isn't that bright at this hour. So I went to the window and what should I see before me....

...SNOW!!!!! And lots of it. Enough to need to shovel. Which is what that rhythmic scraping sound I heard was, someone down the block was shoveling their walk. Having grown up on the Canadian Shield, and the Prairies, I was very familiar with the sound, just wasn't use to hearing it here.

Hmmmm? I wonder if the people I'm house sitting for have a snow shovel?

Cause I was gonna need it.


Unfortunately, my camera had decided to give up the ghost, so I took these photos using Photocapture on my Mac Laptop.




I managed to find the snow shovel fairly quickly and did a quick shovel before heading off to work. Glad I was close enough to walk, as some people didn't make it in. (wimps) As I'm not at my own place, my boots are going to sit this snowfall out. I donned my rain gear for warmth and to keep me dry. I even tried wearing my rain bootie covers for cycling, they worked like gaters and kept now out of my pant legs and tops of runners, but they wouldn't stay put on the tips of my shoes, so I had to shake the snow out of them periodically. Pretty funny.

I was out for the evening so had to shovel again this morning as it continued to fall yesterday after I left. I even managed to find a bag of melting salt in the garage for the steps which had become rather icy. So the walk and steps were clear for the postman when he came to deliver the mail. When I lived in Calgary, the postman didn't deliver mail if the walks weren't shoveled. I didn't want to take that chance here. Besides, I have to use them too, and didn't want to wipe out myself.

Today it is really windy and cold, so it looks like it will be staying for a while. Maybe the snowbanks I've created will still be there to some degree, when my friends return from sunny and summery New Zealand. That's gonna be a shock. (hehehehe)

I must say about locals and snow, they don't know what to do with it. It's in their way, it makes the sidewalks icy and stairs up to you house dangerous. This is what I say to them...HELLO people, you are supposed to shovel it out of the way. We have had enough snow dumps in the last few years, everyone by now should have invested in a shovel by now.

Another thing about West Coasters, when its snowing they haul out their umbrellas. Yes, umbrellas, those plastic/nylon folding, portable shelters that most people have for rainy weather. I guess here on the coast, precipitation is precipitation.

It still makes me laugh though. Me I just donned my new wool hat and scarf and off I went. I rather enjoyed my snowy walk to work. Glad I don't have to be out in the biting wind today though. I'm snuggled up with my books and laptop working on homework.

I guess I won't be riding my bike anywhere until this clears. sigh It really was beautiful yesterday though.