It's a beautiful Sunday morning after a big snowfall overnight - Let's go out for brekkie! We couldn't even walk out on the front deck because everyone would get covered in snow so there was no choice but to clear it off and clear the bridge (the path) to the driveway. Everyone stayed warm inside while I went shovelling. Oh, it's only -15, not that bad, I won't worry about a beanie...
Bridge cleared, I come back inside to warm up and get some feeling back into my ears that have swelled up and turned out so I resemble the cover of a MAD magazine. Anyway, lets go get some Toutons! "Kristy, open the garage door with the remote". "I'm trying but the door must be frozen!" Taylor chimes in, "Ummm, I think the power is out because like, my computer won't charge". I text friends up the road, no power there either. Fantastic, we have dug our way out to the car but we can't get into the garage. I called Jordan's and confirmed they had power so we were good for breakfast, we just had to get there... Get in the other car and I'll clear off the snow!
Knee deep in snow, I start clearing off the snow and scraping the ice off every surface - hard work. I finally get into the car and find every dash light flashing and understand now why the wipers were on full blast - Ryder practising his driving. Looking down the driveway I see a pile of snow that has been pushed up across our exit by the grader clearing the snow off the roads. It's probably up to the grill, and let's face it it is only snow, yeah we can push our way through.... Wheels start spinning halfway through, reverse... nothing, forward... nothing - bogged in our own driveway! Cooper says "Oh well, Dad will have to dig!" I run back to the front deck get the shovel and start digging the car out.
The snow had packed in front and back of the car by now and was hard digging. I get back in - forward... nothing, reverse... nothing, still bogged! Taylor suggests "Umm, should someone like, push?" Good idea - get out! I throw it into reverse and TJ starts pushing like she is possessed! Look at her, she is hanging for some Newfie breakfast. A few more revs... She's moving! We get the car back to it's starting position, I get out again and start digging a path for the car. Ok, with something that resembled a clear path, TJ goes to the back ready to push us out onto the road, I get back in sweating, pulse racing. I throw it back into drive... we're through - get in TJ!
We drive down the road a couple of km's to Jordans and pull into the car park, windows frosted up again. I start to reverse park next to another car, difficult to see... A bit close, I think "I'll just go out and straighten up". Still sweating, with my heart still racing and the owner of the adjacent car heading towards us through wind and snow, I revert back to my natural instincts thinking I am driving a right hand drive vehicle. I reach for the gearstick to throw it into drive... but I grabbed the door handle instead... The door flies open, I hit the accelerator... we are still in reverse! We head straight back towards the restaurant and I slam on the brakes just in time... Would have been embarrasing getting our order taken without leaving the comfort of our car!
Anyway, we all ordered some toutons, molasses, bacon, eggs and hash browns and washed it down with some hot chocolate and brewed North American style coffee - nothin' like it!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Very cold one day, warm the next.
What a crazy week for weather! I always seem to be writing or talking about the weather but it does dominate our thoughts here in Labrador City. I looked out the window on Wednesday morning and thought "what a beautiful day", later that morning I heard on the radio that it was -38 degrees (no windchill). No good looking out the window to decide what to wear.
On Friday, we all wore sweaters (without jackets) as the weather peaked at -8 degrees C and it snowed for most of the day. It hasn't snowed for ages as it has been too cold. Predictions were for a warm weekend, 25 cm of snow and icy rain (whatever that is). Today was 0 degrees C, that is a massive temperature variation over three days and I don't think we have ever experienced this variation in Australia. It was noticeably warmer but it has been snowing solidly all day, there is a snowfall warning for Lab City overnight with 15cm of snow expected.
We went for a walk this afternoon and felt the icy snow, it's like wet snow fall, when it lands it has the consistency of a slushie drink. The warmer temperatures are causing lots of snow to melt so it's extra messy and dangerous on the roads. The sand truck is laying down sand to make it less slippery and there are a lot of loaders and graders moving around on the streets cleaning up the fresh and melting snow. The rain has also made it overcast, colder days are much sunnier. Tomorrow's forecast is for a maximum of -13degC with lots more snow, not sure if it will be sunny or not.
On Friday, we all wore sweaters (without jackets) as the weather peaked at -8 degrees C and it snowed for most of the day. It hasn't snowed for ages as it has been too cold. Predictions were for a warm weekend, 25 cm of snow and icy rain (whatever that is). Today was 0 degrees C, that is a massive temperature variation over three days and I don't think we have ever experienced this variation in Australia. It was noticeably warmer but it has been snowing solidly all day, there is a snowfall warning for Lab City overnight with 15cm of snow expected.
We went for a walk this afternoon and felt the icy snow, it's like wet snow fall, when it lands it has the consistency of a slushie drink. The warmer temperatures are causing lots of snow to melt so it's extra messy and dangerous on the roads. The sand truck is laying down sand to make it less slippery and there are a lot of loaders and graders moving around on the streets cleaning up the fresh and melting snow. The rain has also made it overcast, colder days are much sunnier. Tomorrow's forecast is for a maximum of -13degC with lots more snow, not sure if it will be sunny or not.
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| Melting snow and sand on Avalon Drive |
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Bambi On Ice!
It's a typical Saturday morning and I'm on the phone to Derek who has had a few quiet ones late night in Oz, when Kristy launches herself into the lounge room, "(Oh Dear!) I've forgotten my hair appointment!" Ok I'll get the boys ready and we'll see you down there. Great, I get to do the shopping...
We park at Tim Horton's end because Cooper starts "I need a donut Dad!", then Ryder continues in harmony "darmut Dad!" Ok coffee and donuts it is... so hard to slip into the North American culture... Anyway we pull up and I get the boys out so we can do some shopping. We call past Kristy in the hairdressers, get instructions on what we need to buy then head off to Walmart via Tim's.
Shopping done, Kristy meets us at the checkout and we head out. I unload the shopping and head towards the shopping cart return when I see this - Bambi on ice! I had to take a photo and share it because I just couldn't believe it - packed in snow in the back of a pick up, leg up, fresh as! The thing that really made me look was the young lady who hopped into the pick up and drove it away!
The moral of the story? Always look forward to doing the shopping and return your shopping cart (trolley) because you just never know how you will be rewarded.
We park at Tim Horton's end because Cooper starts "I need a donut Dad!", then Ryder continues in harmony "darmut Dad!" Ok coffee and donuts it is... so hard to slip into the North American culture... Anyway we pull up and I get the boys out so we can do some shopping. We call past Kristy in the hairdressers, get instructions on what we need to buy then head off to Walmart via Tim's.
Shopping done, Kristy meets us at the checkout and we head out. I unload the shopping and head towards the shopping cart return when I see this - Bambi on ice! I had to take a photo and share it because I just couldn't believe it - packed in snow in the back of a pick up, leg up, fresh as! The thing that really made me look was the young lady who hopped into the pick up and drove it away!
The moral of the story? Always look forward to doing the shopping and return your shopping cart (trolley) because you just never know how you will be rewarded.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Northern Lights
We were at home tonight and Trish called to tell us that the Northern Lights were out tonight. We raced outside to check it out. Meanwhile we got two more phone calls and an email to let us know that the Northern lights could be seen right now!
Once our eyes adjusted we could can see a large green haze in the sky. It was in the shape of a rainbow curving over the horizon. It became brighter the longer we were outside and then it faded and seemed to disappear into the distance. This is only the second time we have seen the Northern Lights since we got here.
Once our eyes adjusted we could can see a large green haze in the sky. It was in the shape of a rainbow curving over the horizon. It became brighter the longer we were outside and then it faded and seemed to disappear into the distance. This is only the second time we have seen the Northern Lights since we got here.
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| An example of the Northern Lights (we couldn't get a good shot ourselves) |
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