Ice skating with a stroller

The Sprout and I went on a big walk yesterday.  It was pretty treacherous.  Our days have been sunny but cold meaning all of the snow we have had has turned into a 2-3 in slab of ice that covers almost every walkway and side road.  I found that when reaching an ice patch with a stroller, it was best to act as if I was ice skating so that I wouldn't slip.

The steps to the park are impossible to get down.

2 inches of ice on the road.  I am thankful for my SUV stroller.

Our street, all of that white is ice.

The sidewalk outside our house

The big chill

At least that is what the news has named it, "The Big Chill." Today it snowed at my house for 6 hours straight.


10:30 am (notice the pot outside)

1:30 pm

I was very glad that I did not have to work or do anything. We are supposed to get more snow tonight.

A thankful snow day

It finally snowed last night.  It came down pretty hard for about an hour, but the wind blew much of it away.  No matter, the cold is keeping it around and the forecast is for more snow.  It worked out pretty well though because I was still able to have Thanksgiving.  It was very small this year because I just didn't feel like entertaining (the Sprout seems to add on 3 guests).  The Sprout got to have his first Thanksgiving dinner which he had 2nds of off my plate.  He seemed to like the mashed potatoes and gravy (following after his mom) and the turkey the best.  We also had cranberry, apple and sausage stuffing, roast potatoes and roasted parsnips with sweet potatoes.  Richard made the pumpkin pie.  We tried a Digestive biscuit crust (a graham cracker crust only with Digestive biscuits instead because they don't really have graham crackers) with the pie and it was really good.  We didn't have football to watch, but the guests partook in some Wii activities and the Black Adder marathon on the TV.

We had a good time.  I hope to be able to return to a full Thanksgiving routine next year.

Let it snow

Today 6° | 2°

Tuesday 5° | -1°

Wednesday 4° | -1°

Thursday 3° | -2°

Friday 3° | -1°

Shipley weather for this week from Google weather

Today -1° | -6°

Tuesday -3° | -6°

Wednesday 2° | 1°

Thursday 5° | 1°

Friday 6° | 2°

Gig Harbor, WA weather for the week from Google weather

Isn't it funny that we all get up in arms about snow.  I think it is our way of dealing with the cold weather.  Either people are fearing for the snow or waiting impatiently for it, snow seems on the mind of most people's from the beginning of November.  I suppose we maybe excited for it because it is the one true excuse to miss work, be late for appointments and the reason to not do anything but watch the weather and enjoy being at home.  It also seems to bring out the child in most of us (in a good and bad way).

As soon as I start hearing of snow in Washington, I start looking at the DOT cameras.  I get really excited for everyone.  I miss getting calls from D as soon as a flake hits the ground.  One year while the snow started in Bradford, I mistakenly called her to let her in on the news.  I had forgotten the 8 hour time difference, but she didn't seem to mind.  It was awesome on Saturday when I got a call from my brother asking me "guess who has snow?"

I am excited for the Sprout to be able to play in the snow.  Although there won't be much playing if he doesn't get to walking on his own soon.  We have a bit of a slope in our back yard that I am excited to try to sled down.

On the other hand, it is so early for it to snow.  Western Washington getting snow so early is strange, and a low blow after the storm they had last weekend.  If Google weather is right and we get snow soon, it will have come earlier than last year, which could mean the beginning of 5 months of snow if it goes the way of last year.  I have never been big on the "Global Warming" theory (yes everyone gasp in horror).  It isn't that I don't believe it, I just believe that weather isn't always as predictable as we would like it to be, and that upsets us.  People also seem to remember weather very differently every year (plus most things that happen as a child are romanticized in our memories).  When I was small we always had snow that would bring the towns to a halt.  Then we went through a period where we barely had snow.  Isn't it all just coming back around?  When our parents were small there was even more snow.  Why should we blame this on "Global Warming?"  Anyway, I don't feel like a debate, just something I always think about.  Why not just enjoy your day off from work or school and watch the kids enjoy the snow?

Last year's December snow with a baby Sprout on my tummy.

SNOW pt 2

PIcture from BBC News online

The BBC reporting on the snow in Huddersfield not far away from Bradford, I live in West Yorkshire.



Sunday is started snowing and when we woke up on Monday, it was still snowing. We both got up to go to work. The front page of the Metro Newspaper looked like this.. Metro

It snowed all day. I was forced to go home because there were no customers in the store. What I find sunny though, is that even though there was all this snow, not much actually accumulated. Our roofs have about 4 inches on them. The sun comes out and then hides. The snow starts and then stops...I am sure we will all be iced up for days. We'll see if I can get any good pictures later.

Snow, again...

This is the second stint of snow I have awoken to. It has been very cold for the past couple of weeks and so it decided to snow, however, it gets slushy really fast, so it isn't very exciting snow.
Here is a link to the article about it: BBC News