I have always loved snow, but when I lived in ND it meant something else. When a blizzard would come on, it meant that you were stuck wherever you were for at least a few days. It also meant that if you weren't organized and prepared, you were probably going to die of some combination of hypothermia, dehydration, starvation or boredom.
I remember looking out of my bedroom window and seeing the banks of snow go on and on in the back yard. First and foremost, it was SO SPARKLY -- like everything was covered in wee bitty diamonds. I always marveled at how perfect and unmarred the banks were, it looked like a different planet. I would get upset when a some little animal would track through it because the imperfection left in the snow destroyed the illusion for me.
(Contrarily, when we took Riley home for Christmas a couple of years ago, he saw the blank, beautiful canvas of snow and immediately saw the opportunity to destroy something, so he jumped on it. The difference between boys and girls I guess.)
In Seattle, snow means that it will be pretty for a day or so, then all melt away. The people here go insane when it snows. Two inches literally shuts down the city. Sometimes this makes sense to me.
ND shuts down for two reasons when it comes to snow: the sheer amount of snow or wind. If there are several feet of snow to contend with, obviously people get stuck until all of the plows can come through and clear the roads. ND never shuts down over two inches of snow...unless...
The snow is also really dry so, in the case of high winds, the problem becomes the subsequent lack of visibility.
Here, the problem is the moisture and lack of preparedness. If it gets cold, all of that two inches of snow turns to one big sheet of ice during the night time and becomes impossible to drive on. Also, the Pacific Northwest isn't really prepared for snow because it happens so infrequently. Nobody has studs on their tires. The city doesn't have snow removal vehicles (melters, powers, blowers, etc) that are small enough to fit on residential streets. So, while the main roads might be cleared off and drivable, folks can't get down their streets without getting stuck.
At any rate, it is falling now. The big snow with the big swirls that cover everything with a layer of magic. So, today I'm going to bask in it. I'll bundle up and take the Frecklebelly outside to watch her play in it. I'll try to catch some of it on my tongue.
I'll worry about how I'm going to get to work tomorrow.
I remember looking out of my bedroom window and seeing the banks of snow go on and on in the back yard. First and foremost, it was SO SPARKLY -- like everything was covered in wee bitty diamonds. I always marveled at how perfect and unmarred the banks were, it looked like a different planet. I would get upset when a some little animal would track through it because the imperfection left in the snow destroyed the illusion for me.
(Contrarily, when we took Riley home for Christmas a couple of years ago, he saw the blank, beautiful canvas of snow and immediately saw the opportunity to destroy something, so he jumped on it. The difference between boys and girls I guess.)
In Seattle, snow means that it will be pretty for a day or so, then all melt away. The people here go insane when it snows. Two inches literally shuts down the city. Sometimes this makes sense to me.
ND shuts down for two reasons when it comes to snow: the sheer amount of snow or wind. If there are several feet of snow to contend with, obviously people get stuck until all of the plows can come through and clear the roads. ND never shuts down over two inches of snow...unless...
The snow is also really dry so, in the case of high winds, the problem becomes the subsequent lack of visibility.
Here, the problem is the moisture and lack of preparedness. If it gets cold, all of that two inches of snow turns to one big sheet of ice during the night time and becomes impossible to drive on. Also, the Pacific Northwest isn't really prepared for snow because it happens so infrequently. Nobody has studs on their tires. The city doesn't have snow removal vehicles (melters, powers, blowers, etc) that are small enough to fit on residential streets. So, while the main roads might be cleared off and drivable, folks can't get down their streets without getting stuck.
At any rate, it is falling now. The big snow with the big swirls that cover everything with a layer of magic. So, today I'm going to bask in it. I'll bundle up and take the Frecklebelly outside to watch her play in it. I'll try to catch some of it on my tongue.
I'll worry about how I'm going to get to work tomorrow.
(Maple tree in the front yard. Pretty in the summer, but prettier when covered with snow.)
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