Let it snow

Getting out on the roads Christmas Day, it was the strangest thing. I don't have a picture of the volume on the main streets, but driving down the road, I was weaving in and out of cars lodged and abandoned in the snow. There were few drivers out on the road which made for an eery quiet. The thought nagging in my mind was "Where did all these people go?". We must have passed 40 plus cars. They couldn't have all walked home late in the night, could they? It wasn't until we got out of the city and onto the back roads that we thought to get the camera out. There was much less traffic but you can see the drifts on the side of the road that were car door high. This road was wide enough to accommodate two cars but at one point, we entered a plowed path that was just one lane. A half mile in, we were met with four cars coming the other direction. Their car tried to turn and got stuck in a snow bank. John hopped out to help push it free and we were then left with the task of backing out of the slalom path we had just navigated into. I was so tense holding on the steering wheel as we bumped around in the uneven divots littering the packed snow and ice that I found myself sore the next morning. If it wasn't for the 4 wheel drive in the truck, we wouldn't have gone out at all.

Below is the picture of my parent's car that got stuck on Christmas Eve and was shovelled out Christmas Day shortly after this picture was snapped. Fortunately the snow was not near as high as other drifts around the city had been and the snow had melted several inches from the night before but it was just high enough that the tires couldn't spin their way out. Oh how I wish that I had a picture of May. It felt like I was driving in a zombie movie or world ending event. Cars scattered about. Abandoned. These three cars don't do it justice.

From the sky, we received 14 inches. From the plows, many cars received much more. Ones that were just stuck tire deep, like my parents, awoke the next morning to find their car wedged in three feet of snow. Good for those of us driving. Bad for those who'll be shoveling their way free. I stole a few pics from the news site to show what I mean. It doesn't capture zombie-esque, but is does capture attack of the snow plows and the sight of passing mail trucks and even a city bus motionless in the snow.

I am certain that all those dreaming of a white Christmas, didn't dream of this. Probably more like fires and cocoa and carolers in red bonnets and fuzzy gloves. Snow men and sledding and giggles. Not shovels and frame repairs. I guess it rings true. Be careful what you ask for. Even at Christmas, the most magical season of all.