It's been snowing on and off since Friday night and hasn't stopped. It's not quite as bad as the 16" of snow we had back in December, but it's getting there.
It's not like we're cold as the underfloor heating works really well, even if the oil tank costs $500 to refill. It's just that if you want to go anywhere it's a bit of a chore. And by "bit of a chore" I mean "a total pain in the arse".
We had snow tyres fitted to our cars just before the last deluge, but I'm still worried about sliding down our steep drive, across the road and into the forest. The tyre tracks in the above pic aren't actually ours... in fact I'm not sure whose they are, which is interesting to say the least.
Don't get me wrong, the snowy landscape here in Vermont is beautiful. Once the glory of fall is over — and leaf season usually only lasts around two or three weeks — you're into stick season, i.e. millions of dead trees. At least the snow makes the scenery look less dreary, and on the bright side we're not back to this yet:
This was the scene that greeted me on December 17, a day that will go down in history as "well, let's hope there's something on Netflix we haven't watched yet". In fact, my Outback hasn't moved since then, so I've been driving Alicia's Forester if I've needed to go out. Oh, and the best bit? This snow was gone by the 25th, so we didn't even get a white Christmas.
Amazingly, the dogs aren't flummoxed by the strange white stuff at all. We knew Erebus would be OK as she's fearless, but we were a bit worried about Cadbury as he used to get under a blanket if the temperature dropped below 60 degrees.
But he's a happy bunny and is running around in snow like a maniac, which isn't surprising as all the pups have been cooped up in a room for weeks. I'm starting to lose my fear of letting him off the leash so he's been getting a good workout, which he — just like his owner — really needs.
But on the upside, it is a huge difference to what were used to in California. Let's face it, difference is an understatement; it's an entirely different world, one where our shorts and t-shirts are redundant, the hiking boots we used to wear wilt in the face of liquid, our socks are thicker and we're wearing coats when we go out. Much like having our own well, or having a huge tank full of heating oil in the garage, or not having a Target any more, it's all part of the learning process.
And, as I finish writing this, it's snowing again.
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