Ice and Snow Such beautiful forms of water!
Hi friends,
This morning I awoke to a lovely surprise. Overnight the landscape had beencovered in deep, fluffy snow. Big thick luscious flakes were still falling. Snow crystals clinging together make for such airy, giant sized snowflakes. Imagine -- every single flake is a unique and extremely beautiful crystal.
Ben left at 8 am for his office where an auditor was expected to come audit the
tax returns of one of his clients. It took him two hours to make the usual ten to fifteen minute run. Ben knows all the roads, so whenever he found traffic backed up and cars in the ditch, or overturned vehicles blocking the way he took other ways to by-pass the snarl-up. The alternative ways proved little better. On
one hill two big commuter busses were stuck, one coming and the other going on
on the same route. When he got to the office the auditor had just arrived, too.
He came from a neighbouring city and was held up on the main highwy. This afternoon Ben needs to attend a client at the hospital, so I hope he will be able to
get home safely. It gets dark early at this time of year -- about 4 pm. I'm not going to go out at all today. It seems like a good day to sit and do my mending and just admire the falling snow. The meteorologist reported that there are summer type clouds above the cap of cloud covering the valley from the usual lake cloud. these unusual summer type clouds are stuck there for the time being, so I guess the snow is going to continue for about three days. Areas very close
to each other are receiving different amounts of snow. Ours is getting a good amount. Fortunately our little blue diesel Volkswagen Rabbit can go through almost anything. It only gets held up when other cars block the way. That's why we still have it! :-))
There is usually little wind on this slope of the mountain where we live, so every twig and tree branch still holds about half my hand's breadth of snow which slowly and steadily piled upon it. What a magical sight! You see each branch or
twig clothed in its dark bark, underpinning its load of snow. The pines and firs have bigger loads on their frond-like branches, and inside the trees there is
shelter for birds and animals. Under our big Douglas Fir there is no snow at all, and none on interior branches, so I know that the forty or so quail that live here on our land must be fluffed up, and huddled together in there for warmth.
Its impossible to see them because their colour blends so well with the surroundings. We also have a beautiful little red squirrel that lives under our woodpile. He has a white chest and white lines circling his eyes, like eye-makeup. I
haven't seen him this year yet, but I heard him calling earlier in the year. and I wonder if he will come out of one of his entrances to look around as he has
other years?
In Prince George, a city north and west of here, there is a big ice jam on the river which is causing flooding of nearby homes and businesses in the city. All
measures to break the jam have been considered,including blasting, but none was
found feasible. Each would likely cause a variety of troubles on top of the one
they already have. The Mayor was in despair about it when an ice specialist suggested the use of hot water. There is a pulp mill there which could supply plenty of hot water, so they are going to try it. Any action could make the ice jam
worse and conditions more complicated so it was a scary decision for them to take.
If you live in the south and haven't yet seen such a snow-fall as we are havinghere, I assure you that it looks like every wonderful picture of a snow-fall you
have ever admired, and is one of the most beautiful sights to my eyes. I love
snow. Especially these big, fluffy, drifting snowflakes. They create such a feeling of peace, and all sounds outside are curiously muffled. The snow has its
own fragrance. Sometimes you can smell it coming. It is very subtle and unmistakable, yet indescribable scent.
Best wishes to all, Maryk in Canada
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