All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Calm returned yesterday morning after Friday's blizzard.  The day dawned bright, frosty and clear. 

 

I got dressed in waterproof clothing to go out and start clearing the snow and took these photographs.  A couple of minutes without gloves and I couldn't feel my fingers ~ not a good sign.

 

I had to go back indoors to add more layers.  The sunshine was deceptive, as the air temperature was in the minus 20s. 

 

The snow clearance operation in our street was a big one.  The main question: where to put all that snow?  The road is getting narrower as more and more snow is ploughed off the driveways and pushed out there.  The gardens are already piled so high with the stuff that it is becoming almost impossible to shovel yet more onto the piles.   It is beginning to look like a long winter and it is only early January.

The Big Dig

 

The snow started before dawn yesterday.  It continued throughout the day with white-out conditions during the blizzard.  I was stuck at work when the road closed and I was unable to get home.  Some hours later, a good Samaritan gave me a lift to the end of my street....no sign of the plough and it was long after dark.  In places, the snow was more than knee-deep.

 

This morning, the big dig began.  The plough came through before dawn and dumped about four feet of compacted snow on the end of our driveway.  My car is buried at the back, where it is likely to remain until the weather improves.

 

Our back garden is under feet of snow.  A thick layer of snow lays on the roof of the house and the shed.

 

The first job was to dig out the shed, where our ATV with plough attachment is kept.  We are so grateful for the fact that we got this old but useful piece of winter equipment during the summer.  Without it, we had to rely on the kind help of our neighbours after huge storms.

 

More later after we have had a chance to get on with the digging....

New Year 2014

 

Welcoming in the New Year was definitely very low-key in our household last night.  As I was on-call for work, I went to bed long before any chimes of midnight.  In a little over half an hour, I go off-call and then I can sit back, relax and enjoy the day ~ or maybe get the New Year off to a good start and do some exercise.

 

For now, it is good to be indoors and keeping warm.  This morning's temperature is -16 C and the wind chill is -32 C.  I don't have any intention of spending time outdoors!  Winter is far from finished here and there is yet more snow in the forecast for the next couple of days.

 

However you chose to welcome 2014, I hope that the year is full of promise for good health, happiness and precious moments for you and all of your family.  Happy New Year!