35cm of snow...and the rest!

This is the view from our landing window. Top one has snow drifted on to it.

Bottom, snowed has cleared. Looked bleak!

Huffle didn't set the alarm last night as he wasn't in a hurry to go to work until our road was ploughed. However, he did leave before it was ploughed but had to clear his car from under the snow. I was outside with him putting the recycling out. The boys tapped on the window and said "it's nearly 8am, are we going to school? We haven't had breakfast".

There is a face on the top one.

Left - Huffle clearing snow from car. right - he is in there somewhere.

These photos were at 8am.

Snow Indicators at 8:30am - by 12 these had vanished from view completely.

Then the fun started. I phoned the school and left this message.

"Hi, Famfa here, sorry to be a nuisance (very English eh Grandma, well not the eh bit!) but I can't seem to find any information to tell me whether the bus is running or the school is open. My number is ###-###-####. Errr HELP!"

One of the teachers rang me back to tell me the bus wasn't running but the school was open. Nice teacher.

So, I hurried the boys through their breakfast, we all got ready and wrapped up well and we walked to school. The road still hadn't been ploughed so it was quite hard to walk. We walked on the road and followed the car tracks. Every now and then we would jump off the road onto the path away from the oncoming cars. We finally got to school - it wasn't too bad as the wind was behind us. I was appalled at the amount of people risking the drive to school, though they only live around the corner! The bell had just gone so they went straight in.

The journey TO school

I started to walk home and bumped into a friend who invited me round for coffee (well I invited myself really). We sat chatting and laughing for ages, in fact I didn't leave until about 11am. It was very blustery and the wind was right in my face. I was looking at my phone and realised I had walked right over someone's garden. Then I skyped LizzieDotDot to show them the snow (I promised). It was only brief as I couldn't hear well and my phone was getting wet. I think I got a bit of snow-blindness then as I walked straight into the ditch. The snow was really deep and I went in up to my bottom. Of course, I tried to clamber out as quickly as I could in case anyone saw me and just went in even deeper. I climbed out and carried on walking along the road. Huffle told his colleagues that I ended up in the ditch. At first they were concerned I had driven into one. Then he told them I walked into one. Yes, they had a good laugh!!!

I skyped Grandma and I felt like an Artic Reporter. Again I couldn't really hear so I carried on walking home - it took forever. A man took pity on me and helped me to get back on to the pavement. I finally got home to find the Sun Room 5" under snow including the shelf which is about four foot high! I couldn't shut the sun room door. I came in, got all my wet things off and put them in the dryer, skyped Moo and then the phone rang. It was the school to say come and get the kids as it was too dangerous to let the teachers and parents drive any later in the day. Clean, dry clothes and three mini mars bars later I was back on the road, still not ploughed, with a sledge. It took ages, it was cold, my face was sore, I pulled a muscle in my leg, I got a blister on my foot - my bad foot, but I got there eventually. I saw my friend who I had coffee with and she said they rang just 20 minutes after I left - WHY DIDN'T I STAY! She lives much closer than we do!

I got to school, found Small and then went and found Smallest. I had a chat with the teacher (a stand-in) and the Principal and Small's old teacher. She shouted out "WELCOME TO CANADA" and then came and hugged me. She offered us a lift but I said we were fine (damn!). We walked and sledged home. This time it took even longer. Smallest has very small legs that disappear under huge drifts of snow. Small disappeared up to his waist at one point and I stayed away from the ditches.

The journey FROM school

Once home, the boys got changed into dry clothes, emptied their school bags and played on the computer. I decided to clear the drive as I knew there was no way Huffle would get on to it. The snow on there was over the top of my snow boots! My neighbours across the road (The NoQuoteys) and next door neighbour (Otto) were out clearing theirs. I said "where do I start?" One said at the beginning and the other said pick a spot and work from there! Ummm useful! I decided to start at the end of the drive and then just work my way backwards until there was enough room for Huffle's car. We are supposed to clear the paths in front of our house here but it was just too hard and high today. It was incredibly hard work and I went in, got a cup of tea and asked the boys if they would help. I must have sounded pathetic enough because they both put their snow gear on and came and helped shovel. Then the NoQuoteys also came to help. It took well over an hour but we cleared almost half of the drive. Apparently I piled the snow in the wrong place (the ploughs would have ploughed it straight back on, which is why the NoQuoteys came and helped). My cup of tea went cold but at least Huffle managed to get on the drive okay. After the plough went past, it left a wall at the end of the drive. Oh well, lets not go out for a while!

We went in, got dry and the boys went back on the computer. I started clearing away the breakfast things and realised I hadn't had any lunch (It was 3pm) so I sat down with a hot cup of tea and a sandwich, just as Huffle came home (how does he do that? I can be standing on my feet all day and the minute I sit down, he appears and then I feel guilty!!!).

View from Small's room through a wooden letter A. My poor car.

A tree in our garden. A drift on the drive. Our hedge.

We had our tea and then started clearing up the sun room. It was very snowy but we have now blocked the door from opening by jamming a heavy urn behind it. We have also had to leave the big gates open in case the snow drifts and we are stuck in. The snow is now higher than the floor and up the doors and windows. My car will need to be dug out.

The boys had their dinner. We skyped Aunt Pear and had a long chat with her. Then Huffle and I had our dinner - leftover Stews - ummmm nice and warming. The boys chilled in front of the TV on Small's new BeanBaggy Cushion.

My muscles hurt, face is sore, blister burst, foot aches. We discussed going snowboarding or sledging this weekend. Moo and Aunty A both want to get back on the plane and come back - we said we were on holiday!!

The drywall man starts work on Tuesday and we have clear as much of the loft as possible. 7:45 pm - it is still snowing. It's windy (32kph) and the snow is being blown and is drifting. The temperature is -10 (feels like -18). The boys are going to bed, the beer and blankets are out. We are going to snuggle up in front of the TV to watch Bayou Billionaire and Redneck Vacation. Yeeehaaaaaa.

Oh, forgot to mention yesterday that Smallest got a ribbon for his reading. He is so proud.

 

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