09 February 2013

Digging out

Yesterday was the first snow day that the children have had this winter. It snowed steadily with a strong easterly wind and we were all glad that we didn't have to go anywhere.

This morning is clear and bright, perfect for digging our way out of the house. After a rather self-indulgent day yesterday of comfort food and curling up by the fire with a good book, it was a relief to get outside this morning and do something energetic. I quite enjoyed shovelling the snow from the front steps of the house and from in front of the garage door, the barn door and, finally, the door of the greenhouse.


The solar panels had been caked in snow since last Saturday, as it's been pretty cold this week. Not prairie-cold, but in the minus teens on the centigrade scale, so cold enough!. Yesterday's wind actually helped out with shifting the snow on the panels: there's less on them now than there was before the storm and with any luck today's sunshine (with the promise of some slightly warmer temperatures) will clear them off a bit more.


The weather broadcasters were saying "it's going to be the worst winter storm since February 2008" and I felt quite a seasoned old hand when I recalled that we were here for that storm. The front of the house today looks just like it did back on February 7th, 2008. Well, except that today I cleared all of the steps, not just that rather small passage on the left which was all I'd managed in 2008. I must be getting better at this snow-clearing business!

UPDATE (2pm): As I'd hoped, the temperature has gone up to a balmy -5°C/23°F and with a cloudless sky the snow is beginning to slide off the panels. I love watching that happen. (Yes, I'm very easily entertained.)


3 comments:

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

That's some snow!

sensiblegardening said...

Welcome to Canada, and from your picture the Great White North. Quite a change from England I would guess, but you do know there are milder areas of Canada to pitch your tent:) Having grown up in central Alberta I confess that I am totally snowed out. All the best!

Amanda said...

Thanks Sensible! I see you're in the Okanagan Valley - that's a lovely part of Canada. We visited when we were deciding where to settle, staying in Kelowna for a few days. And we might have moved there if it weren't for the prospect of having to take a driving test again (Ontario was more lenient in that regard!).