***Snow!***

Woke up to white this morning - it absolutely beautiful. Still coming down, thickly. A real winter wonderland! I took a couple of quick photos out the window this am and will post tonight when I get home from class. The cats are alarmed by this development, to say the least....

Hope you're all having a great day! :-)
Shannon

We woke up to a nasty cold rainy morning. I can't wait for the snow, it drives my cats nuts too-they are simply not impressed with the cold fluffy stuff ... they can't walk in it, they just seem to sink! what's that all about?? ... lol.

Yeah, we let Franklin out for a few minutes this morning, for his morning breath of fresh air - it was fresh, all right! He didn't leave the front porch.
Last winter Scruffy started playing with the snow - he would dive forward into it, and then chase the bits that flew up in front of him.

Earlier this morning the snowflakes (snowclumps? lol) were the size of toonies; now they're back to normal size.

Poor kitties......lol

I, from the West Coast, was about to yell out White Rabbits, White Rabbits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! White Snow, White Snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! E

? I don't get it, but I'm curious... :-)

We woke up yesterday to a white blanket as we were on the edge of a storm front that went through Washington from the Pacific. (I think the lower mainland got a bit of that front too.) But, by yesterday afternoon it was all but melted again. I think that it's a perfect time, December 1st, for the first snowfall Shannon. Really gets you into the holiday spirit, doesn't it? Our dog just loves the snow. Runs around likes crazy, jumping and diving and trying to eat the flakes as they come down! Goofball!



This message was edited Dec 1, 2004 11:06 AM

We still don't have any......had some a month or so ago but it's long gone. Probably be one of those years where we pray for a White Christmas. Now Donna you can send some our way......please! ;)

Well Shannon down here it was first rain this morning then Snow and now Rain again :(

What kind of tires do ya'll have on your cars???

Round and Black ones where someone took a knife and cut deep grooves all around them and for some odd reason engraved M&S and something with Ice in it on the sides of them

:)

Sorry, Pam. It's all gone again. :( Doesn't look like I can send any your way for a while as or forecast is for warmer temps over then next few days. +7 by Saturday. I remember being in Edmonton in 1998-99 and we didn't have any snow (It got mighty cold a few times, but no snow!) until New Year's Eve. and then it came with a vengence!! Not pleasant, but I remember how I just loved not having to change in and out of boots every day going to work. Snow is nice for Christmas, and I am sure we'll all have some by that time, but I have to be honest, it wouldn't bother me not to have any at all. Heck, my family and I all went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Chrsitmas and I never missed it at all. After we opened out presents in our hotel room, with a little tree brought from home, we spent the rest of the day at the beach. That night, we went to supper and had Roast Turkey. It was great!

Yer a funny fella Milan...

Just couldn't resist.

Oh let me add, these days there is that annoying bearded guy on TV commercials which talks about the tires I got :)

Ha, ha Milan. Pam, we put snow tires on this year. I'd never needed them in Edmonton, but the snow/slush/ice here is so darn slippery, with all-season radials last year there were some days when I couldn't even get up the road from our garage. Had to go downhill & around the block instead. Snow tires are pretty near a necessity here.

PC :b .......seems the weather there throws much more of a variety of conditions your way so was wondering. After the ice storm there I imagine people were eyeing the spiked variety.


Donna trust me if I was there I wouldn't miss it either! But since our grass/ground/trees/plants are brown here fresh snow seems to add a nice backdrop to the Christmas lights.

This message was edited Dec 1, 2004 2:27 PM

I love snowy Christmases with all the lights the people in my little city puts up - it makes it just magical. But then I just plain and simply love the snow - walking in it, driving in it, watching it from inside - some of my favourite things to do. Like am I too Canadian or what!!!???

Yes, and not to mention the important insulating value snow has for our plants, shrubs and trees, and the moisture that it provides them when it melts in the Spring. I know, I know...

Shannon we often use the all season here too......last winter was one of the few where I wished we had the ones with ICE written on them. Like you we live on a hill and last years, just before deep freeze, rain made life unbearable here. Going somewhere only three blocks away meant having to take a 20 minute detour........we were thinking of getting the wrap around chains with spikes attached. Probably illegal tho. Here they also only put a little salt /lots of gravel at the intersections so the rest of the streets are really an adventure. They also have quit removing snow in residential areas for quite a while now (exception being just before spring melt). :b

Curious..... how far do people here have to drive to work each day?

No driving to work for me. I walk to a commuter train - 25-30 minutes each morning. Rain or shine, snow or fog, it doesn't matter to me. I get picked up at night tho-the man wants his dinner!

When I lived in Edmonton, I had a 30 minute drive, 45 if the snow was flying or if it was icy.

My husband has to carry chains doing his trip over the Mountain every day. He's had to use them 2 or 3 times already.

We think we have had it tough, you should read the Brugmansia forum this morning. They have had some pretty scary weather stateside too.

In town they are very fast with clearing the snow on the roads and one could come by with new All-Seasons as long you stay in town. Nevertheless one is much better off with true Winter tires especially when it is "Slushy" out there like today.
Update, it's now snowing again and it looks like that it will be very slushy so I'm sure glad to have the Winter boots on my car.
A white X-mas is a must :). I don't mind the snow, just hate the inbetween conditions like today or the Ice rain or the very cold temperatures to come in January-February. My Snow-shoes are ready (not the wooden type though), bring it on :)

It's what gives us Canadians, stamina and character, wouldn't you say? :D

Just finished one of Kathy Reichs books Monday Mourning....setting Montreal. Love reading where she compares the Southener's reaction to winter and her experiences in a Canadian winter.

This message was edited Dec 4, 2004 9:46 AM

Toronto doesn't usually get snow before Christmas unfortunately. Maybe one or two little snowfalls that don't last. Normally by Xmas its pretty brown, with a white Xmas thrown in once every 5 years or so. January is when we get the most snow here.

One advantage of living in a smaller city....I can walk to work in 10 minutes (often get there quicker than being in a car). Everyone here, so far, doesn't have too long a drive tho. Often wondered in the bigger cities how long the average drive was.

Your zone 6 temps would *almost* make up for not having a white Christmas Christine!

Oh yes we have tons of that (stamina) Donna! ;)

When it snows I don't drive here much. It's usually gone in a few days. I have all weather tires on the westfalia, I think. It's pretty good in the snow as the engine is in the back but I worry about all the crazies driving out there. When it snows here people go nuts, thinking their cars are toys in the snow. It's the ones with 4 wheel drive that think they're invincible.

Well, it would almost make up for not having a white Xmas, but by then, its so dang cold it might just as well be white!

My drive from/too work is 20km and it takes me 15-20 minutes. The drive from Home to Work and vica versa is against the rush hour traffic so I got it good :).
People living in the Suburbs usually drive 30-50km and have to deal with Montreals biggest problem which is that it is an island and there are only a few bridges and one tunnel through which people gotta funnel through.

Jeanne peeps are nuts here too....usually takes them a week or two to discover it's solid ice under their tires and stopping should be started a block ahead of time. :S

True Christine.....your zone's higher humidity is really chilling!

Milan I'm surprised yours is such a short drive.

Donna I don't envy your DH's drive.....I love the mountains, on foot, but am terrified of the thought of winter driving and sheer drop offs.

That's one of the annoying things about being on call. Often I'm called ahead of time so I know where I'm going in advance but sometimes I don't get called until the morning. My drive to work can be 5 minutes or over an hour if I get called to the school that's way out of town. If I know I'm going to that school ahead of time I arrange to go with someone that commutes every day but when I get called in the morning I have to make my own way because she leaves at 6:30 and the morning call-outs don't start until 6:00. I have had to drive there in the dark, in the snow and believe me it's not fun cuz part of the drive is twisty and turny. There's not much traffic so if you went off the road they might not find you for awhile. Wouldn't you know it....it's one of the areas where there is no cell phone coverage. It's such a small school now that I don't get called there very often anymore.

Sandi, that's a nasty piece of road from north of Campbell River to Sayward. They get way more snow than we do. My cell phone worked at the dock at Kelsey Bay but didn't work anywhere on the highway until I got close to Painter's turnoff. Desperate, isn't it.

Pam, our daily commute (to the next province! ;-) is about 20 min. in the summer, 30 in the winter. Walking would be great! We like where we live tho', and don't mind the drive.

Here's a pic I took out the window around 7:00 this morning, with a flash - the white bits are falling snow! Gotta love that big-city streetlight glow, eh? rrrrr...
I'm looking forward to XMas under the clear, dark skies of rural Manitoba.

And another one from a different window, with no flash (tried to hold the camera very still, on the windowsill). Our 3 cats were certainly intrigued by all this open-window stuff this morning - I had to keep one eye on them to make sure they didn't leap out...lol

20-30 minutes is really good......especially considering you're crossing a border! ;) Here so many do extremely long drives between communities.... like nightowl.

I think I really am ready for snow now......your pics look wonderful :D (always breathtaking at the beginning of Old Man's Winter's reign). ;)

This message was edited Dec 1, 2004 11:56 PM

Great city winter light shots... I kinda like that glow. Never ready for winter but it can be pretty.

speaking of white rabbits, etc. ..........my daughter used to yell out this phrase, the first day of every month. I don't exactly understand why...but she uttered this over and over!

Now that you mention it, I seem to remember that phrase as well, but in a completely different context: if you're sitting around a campfire, and the smoke blows towards you, saying "white rabbits" quickly three times is supposed to make it go somewhere else. Isn't this funny! :-)

Blooms, I like the glow too - am just conflicted about what it represents - increasing population, light pollution, etc. But I don't mind looking out the window at night and being able to see it, or being able to take a walk in the city and see around you.

The light this morning was totally different, as it wasn't cloudy. I took another pic (the snow was about 10 cm deeper than yesterday), and will post it tonight when I get home.

Shannon, your pictures of the snow this morning are just magical - so pretty.

Ohhh, gorgeous photos, Shannon. The first one you posted should be on a calendar! I agree with Blooms, I am never ready for winter either, but if it was w r e n c he d out of me, I would have to admit that it can look pretty after a fresh snowfall.

Thanks, Christine and Donna! These digital cameras are great for point 'n shoot types like me. Now if I could just prop those pesky hydro wires out of the way next time... That's definitely an advantage of those who live in new neighbourhoods, the wires are all safely underground.

Donna, we'll try to break you in to winter gently....lots of pretty pictures....no stories about how the snowplow came by while we were sleeping last night and completely obstructed our driveway with a 18-inch high pile of frozen-solid snow & slush....lol