Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Let it Snow


This has certainly been a real Canadian winter. We had a white Christmas, which was verys nice, then an even whiter Boxing Day, which was not so nice. By the end of the second day we had had more snow than we received all last year. Another snowfall on the weekend and a little on New Year's Eve was just too much of a good thing.




It wasn't quite as bad as this, but there was a drift about 2 feet high when I opened the front door.

Ron also has to shovel paths in the back yard for our dogs, who won't venture out if the snow touches their chests. Then there's the roof, which adds to the shoveling chore. No, we don't shovel snow off the roof of our house, but because it is made of metal (looks exactly like asphalt shingles but lasts 10 times longer), when the metal heats up from the sun or a rise in temperature, the snow slides off in great slabs with a rumble that sounds like the Mounties performing their musical ride over our heads, crashing down onto newly-cleared surfaces.





The first time this happened was shortly after the dogs had been out patrolling the patio. Ron had cleared it completely and Fang had stopped to mark his territory quite close to the back door. Less than five minutes later we heard the sound of thundering hooves overhead, and when we looked out the kitchen window, the patio was completely covered with snow. If it had descended only a few minutes earlier, Fang would have been buried. From then on, Ron has left the snow on the patio, except for a narrow path from the door, so that when the snow slides off it is unlikely that anyone would be directly underneath.

To take a break from shoveling, we tested the repair job Ron did on the broken hairbrush. He left the cable tie on as a safety measure, but cut the end off flush with the edge of the brush so it wouldn't get in the way of a good, solid stroke. I didn't notice the tie wrapped across the width of the hairbrush; I guess my bottom isn't that discerning. I am happy to report that it did the job nicely and I can cross "hairbrush" off my shopping list for next week.




From Hermione's Heart

22 comments:

Roz said...

Hi Hermione,

Wow! being in New Zealand Christmas fall during our summer. I would so love to experience a white Christmas.

Although it does snow in winter here, it doesn't where we are. I sometimes wish it would, just for the experience.

Glad you had some fun and the hairbrush is back in action :)

Hugs
Roz

Anonymous said...

Hermione,

I am glad that you had a white Christmas, but I hope that it is not a very snowy winter.

We have had less than an inch so far this year.

Hug,
joey

morningstar said...

When W and I were discussing our city of choice for retirement - I made the mistake of saying "according to my Father it doesn't snow in Kingston"

What I forgot to add was " as much as in Montreal". Needless to say - after all the snow Kingston got over the holidays - I will never hear the end of "it doesn't snow in Kingston"

I keep reminding him that Kingston was unburied in one day - where as Montreal was buried for nearly a week........ and that I had to shovel 50 cms of snow when I got home on Saturday - by myself!! I didn't get any sympathy (le sigh)

PK said...

I got cold reading this! I hope you've had your big snow and that you only get a little at the time from now on. And could you send us just a little. We usually have some each winter, but we've had some years with nothing. I'm sure none is better than too much, but...

Hugs,
PK

Anonymous said...

So far no snow this Winter in London. Long may it last. Brrrrr.

Hermione said...

Roz - Our family escaped to your part of the world for Christmas and sent pictures taken from the pool, with temps above 40 C.

Joey - Lucky you! We aren't really in the snowbelt, either. It must be global warming:)

Morningstar - I remember the massive snowfalls we had when I lived farther east, and this is nothing! But it takes some getting used to.

PK - I hope the worst is over too, and will gladly pass along any excess. At least we don't get tornadoes (often).

Fred - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Hugs,
Hermione


PK -

abby said...

We have had a LOT of snow this year too....after Christmas I really have had enough! Glad to hear your favorite hairbrush has 'recovered'!
hugs abby

June said...

Holy crow that'sa lotta snow in the 2nd picture O_O I used to wish for that much when I was a kid. Love the Ikea sign. Happy to hear about the impromptu brush repair, Daddy threw one out over the holidays for just that reason...not to worry...he has 6 others O_o But we'll have to keep that in mind in case it happens again.

Anonymous said...

Glad you have solved the snow from the roof danger. However, do not be too frugal and do buy another hair brush, your bottom only deserves the best...
bottoms up
Red

Bas said...

White Christmases are great, especially when you don't have to leave home.
Those snow loads from the roof are very dangerous, cannot you get those RCMP's to play their music somewhere else?
I'm sure Ron has some other implements handy when the worst may happen to the brush.

Aimless Rambling said...

Sorry about the snow, happy about the hairbrush.

Really laughed about the dogs and the snow on their chest. I've always shoveled paths too and gotten a ration of grit about it. Glad we don't have to deal with that anymore.

ronnie said...

Hermione,

Lucky you. I can't remember the last time we had a white Christmas. It's mild here in the UK for the start of January but wont last.

Happy Ron was able to mend the hairbrush successfully.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Hermione said...

Abby - After Christmas is over, I want it all green again:)

June - Welcome! Yes, it is a lot, and I had a back door that looked exactly like that one year. I'm glad you have a good supply of backup brushes.

Red - Aw, shucks! Maybe I'll treat myself to a nice, new one.

Bas - The roof is quite dangerous. It wasn't something we considered before having it installed.

Sunny - It's either shovel the paths or clean the carpets. We chose the former.

Ronnie - I suppose you have snowdrops and hellebores blooming already. Lucky you!

Hugs,
Hermione

Ami Starsong said...

Firstly, I loved the snowfolk

Secondly, Cable ties? Now where have I read about those before?!!

Thirdly, are hairbrushes quiet? I'm on a quest.... And before you mention those Loopy whatsits, the only ones I can find in England are £50 each, and there's no way I'm paying that!

Fourthly, I love snow and I am very envious as all we have here is wet and floods! I remember some years ago when we had snow every winter and I used to ride out in it and it came up to my horse's belly and he used to make large jumps like bunny-hops through the drifts! Those were the days....

Hugs, Ami

Felicia Nemo said...

I had snow like the one in the door picture...but it was in Febuary! There are a reason doors in the north open in instead of out.

June said...

Ami, try cane-iac.com. They have loopies of various compostion & are very reasonable - less than $25 US

SNP said...

Wishing you well with the snow. We've just had a small amount that did not stick to the ground where I live. Take care.

garyntboy said...

Hermione, If the hairbrush breaks again try chewing gum, it seems to hasten a red bottom somehow....Tee hee. Kind regards, Gary.

Minielle Labraun said...

I would love that snow! When I was growing up we had snow on th ground until spring!
Glad the repair stuck!

Hermione said...

Ami - Hairbrushes are noisy, especially the large ones. Cane-iac has loops of various kinds, and their prices are reasonable. You can try their website.

I have ridden through snow like that too. Whee!

Felicia - Our inner (storm) door opens inward, but the outer door opens out.

June - Right on!

SNP - It's getting warmer now, so the snow is disappearing.

Gary - Chewing it, or mending with it? LOL

Minelle - It's fun if you like skiing or toboganning.

Hugs,
Hermione


elle :) said...

Oh, I'm so jealous of your snow! I love it!!

This reminds me I need to add hairbrush to my list, lol :)

Kaelah said...

I'm late for this one. But I love the IKEA sign! :-)