Wanna see snow? I can show you snow...

[fajrdrako]

It has been snowing here a lot lately. Today was the first day after a huge snowfall; but it might be said to be the first day after a series of huge snowfalls that have been going on for four months now.

It's pretty, but we're tired of it.

Might as well show you the prettiness, though.

Pictures all taken during the past week:

Monday: it snowed.

1. Man walks dog. This was taken at the bus stop as I was on my way to work. It was snowing fairly heavily - but falling snow doesn't show up well in photos.




2. The trees by Patterson Creek. Pretty any time of year.




Tuesday: It stopped snowing... for a while.

3. The corner of Bank St. and Third Avenue, where I get off the bus coming home. There was sunlight. A novelty.




4. A house on Third Avenue: this place amused me. A tiny house, hiding behind its own snowbanks.




5. This is a typical Ottawa view of a typical Ottawa activity: A snowy street, with someone shovelling their drive.




Today: after the deluge...

6. They didn't plough my end of Third Avenue today, and the heavy snowfall over the past few days, and the heavy wind, created deep drifts right across the road. The white car you see here belongs to someone who thought he could drive through the last 30 feet or so to Queen Elizabeth Drive. He was wrong. Four people were digging and pushing the car, stuck in its own ruts, when I went out for my walk. When I came back forty minutes later... nothing had changed, and the car hadn't budged an inch.

When I thought to look out the window a few hours later and see if it was still there, it had gone.

Anyway, this photo is taken in the middle of the street - notice the complete absence of anything resembling a street. Or sidewalk. Or the usual parked cars.




7. The only ploughed road in my vicinity was Queen Elizabeth Drive, the major NCC parkway that goes along the west side of the Rideau Canal. Queen Elizabeth Drive is now bordered by snowbanks about 5' high. Beyond them? Snow and more snow.

Not much traffic, unsurprisingly.




Tomorrow things should be back to normal. Winter normal.

Comments

[gypsylady.livejournal.com]

Oooooh! Purty!

I can say it because we rarely get snow here so I can admire snow from a distance. I do feel sorry for anyone who has to shovel out.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The joys of apartment living: I don't have to shovel, myself.

I figure it keeps Canadians in good physical shape all winter.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

This is so random but if you know where I can find this movie, please let me know -

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4o-RYmQrftI

It has Moliere, Lully, and Louis XIV in one. I must own! :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Well - I've seen it, and loved it. Don't know how/where to find a copy, though. I'll see what I can find for you.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. :) I'm getting what I can for now on you tube.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Isn't YouTube a wonderful place? Amazing what you can find there.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

It's too bad this is out of stock: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T7HIZO/ref=reg_hu-wl_item-added

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Faugh.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

What about this?

http://www.cinemaclock.com/dvd/dvd.aw/p.cm/r.que/m.Montreal/j.e/i.2165/n.1/f.King_Is_Dancing.html

Looks legit?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Looks good to me. I gave them a 'favourable' comment. I'm tempted to buy it myself.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

I don't think I could live w/o it now.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good music in it, too.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Yes! I want the soundtrack too, :).

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

Winter normal? Waiting only 20 minutes for a bus, instead of 45? Trudging through three inches of snow, instead of six? Seeing the roads beautifully clear and the sidewalks either unplowed or barricaded by five feet of snow, so I can't actually get to them?

Cynical about car-loving and pedestrian-hating Ottawa? Who, me?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Waiting only 20 minutes for a bus, instead of 45?

Aaah, wouldn't that be nice?

I was lucky with the #6 this morning: it was more or less on time. And I caught it. And I got a seat. Mind you, something fell off the exterior of the bus when we got to Elgin Street and we had to wait while the driver did emergency repairs, but that only took a few minutes.

Trudging through three inches of snow, instead of six?

It's been a while. I don't think I remember what that was like.

Yes, I am bemused by our new sidewalk problem: ploughed or not, how do we get to them? What do you do when you have to walk on the street because there is no way off the street?

...It's a city of labyrinths!

Cynical about car-loving and pedestrian-hating Ottawa? Who, me?

No more than I am.

[gillo]

Do people tend to have sets of special tyres for winter?

It certainly looks beautiful, and the child in me yearsfor so much snow, but I can see it must get old very quickly indeed.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Do people tend to have sets of special tyres for winter?

Yes, of course. Couldn't get around without them. Mind you, there are also things called something like 'all weather tires' or 'all season tires' (I don't recall the exact term because I don't drive) and I often hear discussions of whether they are a good idea or a bad idea - are they good enough in the snowy weather? Many people seem to think they aren't.

[mommimus-prime.livejournal.com]

We use all weather tires mainly because we don't have snow on the ground all the time. Chains are illegal in the city and studded tires have to be removed in April and I'm a lazy glitch who'd forget to do it and get a ticket. The All Weathers work fine if you also have traction control and antilock brakes on the car.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

We use all weather tires mainly because we don't have snow on the ground all the time.

Neither do we, I reply grumpily. With any luck this deluge will have melted by August.

I'm a lazy glitch who'd forget to do it and get a ticket

LOL - and we all know they'll take any chance they can get for a ticket.

[wanderinunicorn.livejournal.com]

How beautiful, we haven't here any snow this winter, last winter as well. I miss a winter landscape so much. Now we have about 14C plus and there is no chance for snow.
BTW: I've just ordered "Das Königsspiel" on the amazon - a German version, an used one, because they haven't a new. I've read some revievs - there are 6 volumes and only three of them have been translated into German. Now I'm waiting, I should get it soon.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

14C??? I don't even remember what that might be like. It was -14C here this morning (with a wind chill factor of -24). I wore my yoga tights under my trousers to work, for warmth.

I wonder why they only translated three of the Lymond novels - ? That's only half the story!

Though the first book is nicely self-contained.

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

That is *a lot* of snow. Damn.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Even by Ottawa standards - yes, a lot of snow.

(Can it soon be spring yet? Please?)

[mommimus-prime.livejournal.com]

We haven't been plowed yet, either. Tom got stuck in the snow taking the kids to school this morning. It's terrible and that's only two feet of the white stuff.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Tom got stuck in the snow taking the kids to school this morning

Oh, no! I hope they got themselves out all right. What a pain.

They'd plowed Third Avenue, thank goodness, when I left for work this morning. The walking wasn't bad at all - slippery, but I didn't have to climb snowbanks. And bless their hearts, they plowed a special gap in the snow bank so people waiting for the bus (like me) didn't have to stand in the middle of the road.

[mommimus-prime.livejournal.com]

The plow just went by a couple of minutes ago. They spared two plows. Aren't we lucky?

Quinn was 1/2 late to school apparently but so was one of the school buses and a ton of kids so yeah, it was an ordeal but they all survived. I guess there were 3 or 4 people stuck in the same place so everybody helped everybody out.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Sometimes there's a kind of camaraderie when everyone's stuck in the same tough situation, and people are unusually helpful or understanding. It's just as well most of the snow happened on a weekend: it gave most people extra preparation time before going to work today.

[creativeelf.livejournal.com]

Oh noes! Thats a lot of snow! We had lots but its alllllll melted now! *finally!* We are supposed to get 60;s this week! I am sorry you have to deal with all that snow. *pours hot water all over it*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Melt? I'm not sure I remember what 'melt' means. I think our snow has forgotten how to do that.

No, no, no hot water - that will just all turn to ice in no time at all!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Snow! ... I saw all of three snowflakes this whole winter. Well. Maybe five. And pictures. Which are pretty, by the way.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

It's a little-known fact that Eastern Ontario has cornered the world's market in snow and is hoarding it with the vicious intensity of a crimelord - or maybe a dragon with its treasure. Letting none of it melt or get away.

To the frustration of everyone who lives here.

And they're predicting more snow later this week.

I'm starting to feel a little housebound and stir-crazy.

[josanpq.livejournal.com]

And according to JJ : there's more on the way Tuesday night (which began as 2 or so cms and has now worked its way up to 5 or so). PLUS another less comfirmed rumour says another storm and some 40 cms this coming weekend.

J'en ai assez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Can we all just hide under our beds for a few weeks?

Have they cleared the pathway to your doorstep? I was worrying about you getting in and out.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Is this normal???

I've seen ski areas with less snow.

Er, can't quite figure out why anyone would want to live with this... [she says, ducking and running]

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Is this normal???

No. This is more snow than normal. This is a hell of a lot of snow.

Er, can't quite figure out why anyone would want to live with this...

It's a beautiful city, really. Once it all melts.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

It's a beautiful city, really. Once it all melts.

Which is for how many months a year???

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Which is for how many months a year???

Uncertain. If/when it ever melts, I'll get back to you and tell you.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

[makes note on August calendar to watch for fajrdrako's notification]

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Heh.

It's beautiful today: sunny. Since more snowplowing has happened, the sidewalks are now tunnels between snowbanks with smooth, sheer sides. How do they do that?

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

You're asking me???

Take a picture, will you? I want to see.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

OKay - I have my camera with me. But (surprise, surprise) it's snowing again so I don't know if I'll be able to find one of those pristine snowbanks again. I'll try. It seems to be a very specialized technology.

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

Snow is ever so much prettier when it falls on someone else's streets and walkways.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That is so very true!