SNOW and the pitfalls thereof...

[owned_by_a_cat]

Our village isn't on a heavily trafficked route, but on normal days, there's at least a steady trickle of cars and delivery vans going through. If the steady trickle increases to a stream, I can confidently predict that the A43 is shut somewhere between Towcester and Brackley.  If the trickle stops, though...

It's easy to forget that silence can be as disturbing as too much noise, but I remembered as I woke missing the early morning traffic sounds and finding the village shrouded in a thin layer of white. Not connected to my recurring hallucination of a lady walking a large black pig...  just snow and glistening, slippery roads.

Knowing what England can be like at the first three flakes, I bailed on my early morning appointment and instead lit incense to understanding clients and the gods of skype. 

Looking forward to a day of fluffy slippers, hot cups of tea and lots of work getting done.  Wish me luck and keep warm, everyone!

Comments

[ichibanseiken.livejournal.com]

Yep, snow can be a menace if people aren't used to driving in it and don't have the right tyres. We get some of that here as well, the first snowfall is when people have their once accident of the year, although we are in a hilly area so it's a bit hairy at times. I love snow, I could do without having to drive in it!

[owned-by-a-cat.livejournal.com]

I love the way it looks and I like going for walks in it. Driving... not so much. Especially as we don't even have winter tyres in England.

[sardonicista.livejournal.com]

Ah, you mentioned my favorite thing about snow - the silence. Close second is the otherworldly blue glow upon the powder in the evenings and shortly before dawn.

I am not a fan of commuting in the stuff, either. In my hilly/mountainous environs, plowing is erratic and sand is put down in only key areas...and they don't allow any salt application. On the bright side, we are allowed to chain our tires; nothing like a built-in full-body massage and sonic dental cleaning while driving to work!

[owned-by-a-cat.livejournal.com]

I'm obviously missing out on a major experience there, never having driven a chained car. If it gets me out of a trip to the dentist, I should really give this a try...

The problem with snow in England is that there's never enough of it to go for a really decent walk, and it's never cold enough that it makes that weird crunchy sound as if you're walking on pulverised diamonds (or cornflakes).

I got spoiled by a winter in Moscow, where they just plowed it to the side of the road until it formed a solid wall between road and pavement. Then they'd cut "doorways" into the wall, so people could cross the road. The area around the university was just heaven for walks. And when it's properly cold, you tend not to get wet... not in dear old Blighty, though. Here, I have slushy shoes from little more than crossing the road.

Ah well, can't have it all...