Hi friends,
Everywhere here it looks just like a beautiful sparkling Christmas card. Tonight will be much colder, and so the snow on the roads could freeze and become even
more treacherous. On the BC coast where the city of Vancouver is, and on Vancouver Island where our provincial legislative government carries out its functions they usually have mild weather. In the winter it's rainy with an
occasional few milimetres of snow, whereupon many drivers start skidding around
and they have a lot of traffic accidents. This is due to most cars not beingfitted with winter tires. Here in the interior where I live we don't have that
trouble. We're prepared for snow and have our snow tires on. Even chains if
we need to go into the mountains.
This very heavy, and exceptionally early snowfall has crippled most transportation, even in my area. Today Ben went to a conference. When he came out to come
home he couldn't get in because the locks of the care were frozen. Hot water did the trick. It happened because that side of his car was facing north-east, the direction the thick, heavy snow came from. He wasn't very far from home. It
was held on this side of the lake at a very large home owned by some of our friends. People helped each other, and the master of the house, who has a torn shoulder muscle, by shovelling the snow off their extra long drive-way.
Ben dropped Harry's wife off at her house, and then returned to the highway to reach the long, curving, hilly road to our house. You need to take a good run atthat straight, steep hill as soon as you come off the highway. You make your turn and accelerate as fast as possible. Don't allow any diminishing of speed as you climb. There is a large bin of sand near the top of the hill in case
you can't make it. The acceleration can throw you into a fish-tail skid, butgood winter tires and traction will help. Don't give up any speed on the first
high hill so impetus will carry you well around the L-corner at the top of it andon your way up the next hill. At the top, again there's a sharp horseshoe turn
, and then another steep climb to another dog-leg --and then straight on up again if you can make it, until you reach some relief after a left turn.
Now you are briefly on the level before you must make your final left into a small lane. This turn is tricky because it's in front of a curve from above, and a
fence and overhanging trees in someone's yard on the corner of the lane, block a
clear view of descending cars. It's dark here now by 4 pm and you must peer carefully ahead to make sure there are no headlights to be seen shining on the road, or through those trees. That left turn takes you on the level again at last,
into our private lane and then you're almost home.
The lane isn't plowed by the Regional District, so you'll probably need to follow in the ruts of any cars that came through earlier. If the ruts are frozen it
becomes a little more difficult, but nothing like getting here in the first place! It takes driving skill and knowing the tricks to come smoothly home by that
route, in this kind of weather.
When Ben came there were two cars ahead of him already in trouble on the first hill. One was skidding sideways and the other one had begun to slide backwards.
Ben pulled to the side to let them slide back, and shot on by and up the hill and around that first tricky corner. Our little old blue diesel Volkswagen Rabbit
is a bit of a tank when it comes to getting through, and he made it all the way
without any trouble. It's fun to pass bigger, heavier, newer cars and leave them floundering in your wake as you and your little blue squarish box sail on by
.
We're glad here to have so much heavy snow! We need it to fill the water reservoirs before next summer. Skiers are joyful. Ski hills are open and happy. The
RCMP are requesting that no one drive unless they have an emergency situation and must. Very little plowing and sanding of the streets has taken place yet. Tree branches weighed down by snow are shorting out power lines. The electrical charge can go on down through the branches and trunk and into the roots in the ground, so it is possible to be electrocuted and die, just from walking on soil near the affected tree. Power lines are down in many places,
so there are thousands of homes without power. That makes it c-o-o-o-ld if you
heat with electricity. Thankfully, we don't.
Next year we plan to get a new, fireproof roof. The danger we face here is wild
-fire. Next, we'll have screens put on the chimney tops so we'll be able to make safe use of our wood burning fireplace, or a small heater and cook stove we keep to bring into the kitchen in case of an emergency.
Due to climate change it is wise for us all to become as independent of services as possible, in case they are suddenly lost for awhile. You may, each, want to think carefully about your own circumstances and take whatever measurea are possible so that you can stay warm, sheltered and fed through any sudden emergencyuntil such utilities become available again.
Much more snow is still expected here. Temperatures tonight will plunge. If it
becomes too cold it doesn't snow. I don't think it will become that cold. Tonight it will drop to about -17 C. where I am. Of course temperatures differ all
over this province because it is so full of varying climates. Some areas will
go below -30 C. with a wind-chill factor to bring it into the -40 C. range. That's further north. Others on the warmer coast will go to -1 or -2 C. but that's
enough to freeze the sloppy, slushy snow on their roads. It's going to be a mess. In Vancouver and surrounding areas they are still boiling their water because of the last storm that brought landslides into the water reservoirs.
This is the earliest and most snow in history, or at least since they started keeping records around here.
It very beautiful. Every branch and twig and bush is covered with a fluffy white load of snow. I love to see it and I don't need to go out. Just drink hot tea and do the kinds of things at home that I described in my recent series about
how to be happy at home by yourself. There's a good chance Ben will work at home tomorrow. Many schools and colleges are going to be closed. Planned functions will be cancelled.
Warmly, (and thankful for it!) Mary
