Snow Emergency
Today I saw a lot of accidents on the roads, and on coming around a corner on a busy road that has several lanes in both directions and a large divider I had the not-so-wonderful experience of beholding a large truck bearing down on my compact sedan IN MY LANE. And the thing is, I didn't care. Well, not once I swerved out of the way. Because of course, these things happen.
Yes, folks, it's a Snow Day!
I LOVE snow days. I even love *driving* on snow days, even though it's effectively putting my life in the hands of strangers who might be wearing straight-jackets under those poufy down parkas. I don't even mind the cold wet feet and digging my car out from under 200 lbs of wet packed white stuff and trudging the several blocks of unshoveled and potentially deadly icy sidewalk from the place I parked the car in order to avoid being towed during the Snow Emergency (will I remember where I parked it, tomorrow, or will I have to play an exciting Real Life version of Battleship?)
I don't care about all that. It's just so darned pretty, it makes my little heart go pitty-pat. I love the coating of ice that sparkles on the twigs. I adore the way the icicles and frosting of snow on the roofs make our houses all look like the witch's cottage from Hansel and Gretel. I'm a serious danger to my fellow drivers when I go past a patch of bare blackened trees limned against a polished steel sky and mother-of-pearl ground, transformed to a sort of giant magical bobbin lace by mounds and traceries of pristine white.
It's not the cold that makes me catch my breath. It's Wonder.
This is why I live in Minnesota.
Yes, folks, it's a Snow Day!
I LOVE snow days. I even love *driving* on snow days, even though it's effectively putting my life in the hands of strangers who might be wearing straight-jackets under those poufy down parkas. I don't even mind the cold wet feet and digging my car out from under 200 lbs of wet packed white stuff and trudging the several blocks of unshoveled and potentially deadly icy sidewalk from the place I parked the car in order to avoid being towed during the Snow Emergency (will I remember where I parked it, tomorrow, or will I have to play an exciting Real Life version of Battleship?)
I don't care about all that. It's just so darned pretty, it makes my little heart go pitty-pat. I love the coating of ice that sparkles on the twigs. I adore the way the icicles and frosting of snow on the roofs make our houses all look like the witch's cottage from Hansel and Gretel. I'm a serious danger to my fellow drivers when I go past a patch of bare blackened trees limned against a polished steel sky and mother-of-pearl ground, transformed to a sort of giant magical bobbin lace by mounds and traceries of pristine white.
It's not the cold that makes me catch my breath. It's Wonder.
This is why I live in Minnesota.
posted by Eileen at 11:35 PM
7 Comments:
I don't think they called a Snow Emergency, the fools... They hadn't as of yesterday evening. It was pretty out yesterday! A little sloppy while I was helping a friend move, but oh well...
They called a Snow Emergency in St. Paul at 8:30 in the morning... St. Paul Rocks!!!
Of course, that just makes things less pleasant around here, since we don't have a garage and have to trek around trying to find a Day Plow Route to park on, and then have to move the car back before 8am (not a problem on weekdays, but who wants to get bundled up and trudge out there on a Saturday morning?)
But we are plowed out now, and (Bonus Round!) it's still white and frosty out. I haven't gone out this morning (thanks, Pirate), so I don't know if we've got those scary ice-rink type driving conditions. For now I'm just going to enjoy the pretty...
Cripes, the city doesn't bust out the snow ploughs here until at least several inches have accumulated. LOL.
Ahem. Not that this is what we'd consider a big deal, or anything, but it *is* enough to qualify for plowing, Ms. Great White North-Pants. From weather-obsessed local station WCCO:
"Total accumulations reached 4 to 6 inches in parts of central and southwest Minnesota and up to 5 inches in the metro area. "
We're metro area, and there was at least 4 inches piled up on top of our car by noon yesterday, mid-snow. Even given that our car seems to be a major drifting site, that would qualify as snowplow time (I think St. Paul's action mark for new accumulation is 2", but I could be wrong... Chris? I know you're a bit freaked about Mpls not declaring...)
"Ms. Great White North-Pants.
*snort*
Hey, we're close enough to you to have a clue. We listen to the Arrogant Worms. And I'm going to go fish a beer out of our Christmas Tree as we speak...
I'd rather live in Syria.
--arthritic, spindly ol' Mama Stinfam, watching the ferns nod outside her NZ window
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