The Big Green House

Tuesday, January 06, 2004

 

Ice cold ice

As it turned out, we got about four inches of new snow at Science Manor today. We awoke to about one or two inches, and it just kept snowing throughout most of the day.

It actually seemed warmer today, although everything I’ve seen said that the high was around 27 or so. Whatever the temperature really was, I can tell you that it was just beautiful when we took the dog out for her walks. The falling snow gave everything that sort of gray light peculiar to snowstorms. The snow itself was a nice, light powder, as opposed to the wet cement we usually get.

As such, it was perfect for sledding. Every kid in the neighborhood seemed to be zipping down the big hill in front of Science Manor. I was tempted to ask if I could give it a try, but that would have entailed borrowing someone’s sled. As I recall this to be something of a faux pas, I just watched instead. Fortunately, I had parked the car on a side street down the hill aways, since our driveway seemed to be the prime braking spot. Science Girl said that she and her friends had done the same thing when she was a kid. Some things just never change.

And, since the snow was so dry, it compacted very nicely on the roads. I was hoping I wasn’t going to need to chain up for the drive to work, but one look at the state of the arterial that cuts through our neighborhood put the kibosh on that idea right quick. The chains went on pretty easily*, and once I was on my way I was very glad to have them. There were a few spots where it appeared that the city had sanded the road, but it didn’t really seem to have had much effect on the surface at all.

And now, instead of the promised warm rain, we are in fact getting freezing rain. It’s supposed to continue until at least midnight, AKA the time I usually get off work. Ordinarily this might pose a problem. However, tonight my relief called in sick, so I’m here until 3 or 4. Thankfully, the morning person said that she would come in then. So I’ll just be good and tired for the icy drive home, rather than full-on exhausted. Yay.

This day started with such promise.

*Although I did somehow manage to get snow down the back of my pants. I’m afraid I had some plumber’s crack action going on back there. My apologies to all.

bmarkey 1/06/2004 08:30:00 PM