The manservant’s away ……. so, of course, it’s snowing!

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There was snow on the ground when I woke up this morning -  probably an inch.   I left for work and by the time I got out of the train in Virginia it was raining.  Then we had a period of nothing and then there was sleet and freezing rain and then it was back to snow.  Big fat, juicy, heavy flakes…

The Federal Government closed at 3pm – but we all know that the company I work for never closes so I was resigned to staying until 5pm until someone I work with offered to give me a ride home if I could leave a bit early …. oh please boss can I?

I was warm and comfortable in the car but it was not quicker than the train would’ve been..    this is what it looked like when we left the office at 4.15pm:

An hour later and still on the road – about 6 miles from where we started!   It was getting very icy…..   and I still had 4 miles to go!

My friend did not attempt to get into my street so dropped me off on the emergency route main road where I crossed  *with*  the walk sign and was almost run over by a turning snow plow!!!  (sorry no photo!)

Things looked pretty as I walked along the footpath: 

But now it’s really coming down -  about 2″ an hour.   

The weatherman just suggested we should shovel a couple of times before we go to bed as this is the wet and heavy snow – the sort that causes heart attacks – well the snow doesn’t cause heart attacks but the shovelling might…

I suppose I should pay attention to that -  and at least make sure my          outwards-opening storm door is clear of snow before I go to bed!  A lesson learnt from last winter when I woke to find myself trapped in the house!

I see that my neighbour has already made one pass on her path and her share of the footpath!    So I’d better rug up and get out there with my shiny red shovel.

Still here; still snowing…

Still here; still have power, internet and television;  still snowing.  They forecast it will continue to snow throughout the day with another 7-9 inches on top of what we've woken to this morning. 

Taken Friday night 11pm – from my front door barely stepping outside: 

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Chairs on our deck Friday 11pm: 

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The same chairs at 7am this morning:

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Taken from the bedroom window around 7am this morning:   There is a set of  4 steps in there somewhere – you can just see the handrails against the snow: 

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The snow is a heavy wet type which sticks to wires   this is causing power outages around the area:   Photos taken around 7.30am while standing barely outside on the bottom deck – neighbours either side of me:

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My favourite light post across the alley – not so pretty without its glow:

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This is the snow piled against my front storm door – which opens outwards!  Photo taken 8.15am.   I just tried to open it – it moves 6 inches.  Even naked I could not squeeze through a 6 inch opening!! :

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Where did this come from?

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When I got home last evening the poor manservant was out on the footpath chipping away at the snow which had turned into ice while he was at work.   Our neighbours must have had the day off work as their footpaths were beautifully cleaned.  

Not wanting to disturb him (and really just not wanting to keep him company in the severe cold)  I poured myself a glass of wine and wandered around checking things out from inside.  I noticed that our deck had heaps & heaps of snow on it  – far more than appeared to be on the road and ground.  If it wasn't so perfect I would think our neighbours had shovelled their snow over the fence!   

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Snow to Ice

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This morning I looked out my window and watched people slide down my street.  We live on a hill – okay, it's more of a slope than a hill – but when covered in ice it might as well be a mountain. 

I saw a man hanging onto a fence while his feet continued away from him and watched a woman fall over twice in the space of 20 feet.  I watched our neighbour go to her car and struggle to get the door open.   I left her warming up her car while I cleaned my teeth and got dressed.  I returned to the window to watch her drive her car into the one in front of her and then not be able to reverse away because her wheels were spinning.  I watched her tiptoe back into her house.

It was at this point that I decided I would be deliberately late to work today.   I took a 2 hour delay hoping that the temperature would rise enough to melt some of the ice off – or that the city would treat our road and the neighbours would clean their sidewalks.   Wishful thinking on all counts!

I made it to the office and back home again without a fall though I did have a couple of scary slides.  I cancelled my Physical Therapy appointment because I was scared of the walk. 

The temperature warmed into the mid 30's during the afternoon -  ice melted – and tonight it is going to fall back into the 20's and so the rink will be back tomorrow morning! 

Last night it was snow:  

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But by this morning ice had compressed the snow:    

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Measurable?

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The last two winters have provided no measurable snow for DC  – might that change today?

Over the last month the weatherman has predicted snow a few times and then nothing happened but this morning there really are white flakes falling from the sky and sticking on the footpath and roads! 

I love the total "hush" which occurs when it snows -  I hate the trudging to and from work through it.

It is far, far preferable to ice though!  (oh look,  ice is forecast for this evening!).

 

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A couple more……

This was taken from one of our office windows:

 

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My office block:

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Just like the mail, the coke must be delivered no matter what the weather:

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First there was snow; then there was sleet

It DID snow!  Only a couple of inches which then got washed away by sleet, but it was snow.  Of course, by the time I got home from work it was ice!

And iced nearly solid onto my path and footpath.  Out I went with my funny little garden shovel;  after about 10 minutes one of my neighbours came across with his big sturdy snow shovel and offered to help me.  I must have looked like the pathetic blonde female out there with my little shovel and still dressed in my work skirt!   Anyway, I politely declined his kind offer  and continued wielding my shovel across the cement making a hideous noise as I moved ice, and what was left of the snow, to the side. 

I dragged the bag of rock solid salt out and bashed it with the shovel until I had broken up enough to sprinkle around the path and the public footpath. No snow expected tomorrow but maybe flurries and ice again on Saturday! 

Here are some photos which Princess SJ took around the house – she said it was too cold to venture far!

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Princess SJ's artistic shot – distorted through our glass front door:

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Snow is coming…..

Snow is coming, snow is coming.    So what if they have already forecast snow three times and have a successful forecasting rate of zero % ..  

I just know that we are not only going to get snow;  we are also going to get ice!

I know this because the astro-dweeb left today to go and observe at Las Campanas in Chile leaving Princess SJ and I to fend for ourselves.
 
It is also a definite because we don’t have a snow shovel  – we did try to buy a snow shovel the first two snow forecasts but our soviet Safeway had sold out both times and then we just got blasé. 

My funny little garden shovel will have to do.  We have a city ordinance, which says you have to clear the public footpath in front of your property within 8 daylight hours of a storm.  

This law has probably never been enforced – until I don’t shovel!

We have a bag of salt under the back deck – exposed to the elements it has become a rock of salt.  I am not sure how effective a 10lb lump of salt would be on my path.  If only I could find the hammer.

Let it snow!!

 

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Ounce of prevention

Oops!  Looks like the little old lady next door did the "ounce of prevention" thing and put chemicals on HER path tonight!!   We might have to shovel ours in the morning!

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