Winter Has Arrived

December 21 is officially the start of winter, but for all practical purposes it arrived last night in the form of our first significant snowfall. Last Monday, November 19, the high temperature was 77 degrees F. Yesterday, November 23, we got three inches of snow. I guess that's the way it goes in the plains states (I would normally have said, "that's the way it goes in the midwest", but it has been pointed out to me by several residents that this is not the midwest but is part of the Great American Plains).

My car does not have covered parking, so this is what I found waiting for me this morning. The picture is a little dark as it was fairly early and still quite cloudy. Under the beautiful, fluffy snow lies hard as rock ice, so I got to use my ice scraper and bristle brush for the first time. I'll have to get a can of silicone spray in town and spray it on my rubber door seals so they don't freeze to the door as they tried to do today. Luckily, it didn't get too cold last night (about 17 above, F). I had to make a trip to Orleans this morning (distance= 7 miles, population=425) and tried to be prudent in my driving habits. There is an old saying to the effect that half of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at, and I have no trouble admitting that I am dumb at driving on snow and ice. I will learn as the months go by, but for now I'll take it slow and easy. My Sister, the Rev. Kathe Ford, lived in Alaska for ten years and told me that driving on snow and ice was easy as could be. No problem, she said. "Stopping on ice," she then said, "now that's a problem".

Here's what it looks like up the walk to my front door. The snow isn't very deep at all, but it's still a measurable snow fall. The concrete walks hold heat longer than the dirt areas, so they tend melt the snow off. Problem is, the melted snow shortly freezes and makes the walkways slippery and dangerous. I have purchased a pair of boots designed for good footing in snow and ice, but short of mounting climbing crampons, nothing can really give good footing on ice.

The view up the street shows off a wintry view that is truly beautiful. The high temperatures today and tomorrow will be in the mid forties, so I'm told that what is beautiful today will be ugly, muddy slush by Monday afternoon.

Ah, well. So much for a wintry paradise.