In Like A Lion

Driving into town today I looked around and thought what a vast country we live in. The east is being plummeted with snow storms as is Washington state, temperatures are well below normal in other areas and here we are in the far north and the temperature is -1 degree celcius and calm - something that lifted my spirits as I am well through with winter. Oh for the warmer temperatures to descend upon us and the vast amounts of snow we have had can start melting away. I washed my car yesterday (I do that when I can no longer see out my windows) and unfortunately, with this warmer weather, the road snow has melted and mixed with the sand that had been dropped all winter to prevent sliding and the mud was being sprayed onto my clean car. But, even that I could handle. IT WAS WARM.
I went into The Country House to look for new bedroom curtains (yes, I am trying to help the economy with my purchases!!) and when I came out it was like I was in transported into another world. There was a huge snow squall - thin hard snow being pelted around in huge circles by the turbulent north wind. Visibility was about 20 feet. My windshield was covered with frozen snow which needed to be scraped off before I could see. What happened to my beautiful, hopeful day?? As it turns out, it wasn't a squall, it was weather which has now lasted 8 hours and is going on strong. After my shopping I came home and retreated into the shelter of my house only to sit and look out the window at the wild weather.

Just before dinner, I decided that although it was still snowing I should shovel what has fallen to this point or I may have a very hard time shovelling when the snow stops - not a pleasant job. The chaotic wind had caused three foot drifts in the driveway. The snow banks are more than six feet high so when I toss the shovelful of snow over that bank, half gets blown back onto the driveway and if the other half doesn't reach the topof the snowbank it rolls back down into the same spot I have already shovelled. Whew! What usually takes 10 minutes took 1-1/2 hours.

Now darkness has fallen, the wind is still blowing hard from the north, the snow is still falling and the drifts are again forming. Well, I won't even think about it again until I depart tomorrow, which won't be too early as my Man U game starts are 9:00 AM at which time I'll be sitting with the fireplace on, sipping a cup of hot coffee and I'll be transported, at least for a couple of hours, into the warmer weather of England, watching an exciting soccer game with good looking muscular men in short pants! Snow, what snow??