Blanket the imperfections

It rained all last week, and the rain turned to a feeble attempt at snow this weekend. We laughed. The snow barely stayed on the grass, melted immediately upon touching the pavement. And everyone told me this is pretty typical of what snow is like in Vancouver, when it snows at all.

But Vancouver was determined to surprise us all. The feeble snow gained strength and persisted overnight on Saturday, and had a little more substance by Sunday. Sticking around now, but still not a viable threat, with the temperature hovering around zero, the roads were still fairly clear.

So, imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning, at 6 am, to feverish shouting and the whining of an engine and spinning of tires. Then, there was a crash. I got up and looked out my bedroom window. A delivery van was stuck on the ramp up from the underground parking lot under my apartment building. The driver and his friend were clearly not used to snow, for the friend kept urging the driver to hit the gas as hard as possible. And the harder he hit the gas, the less the van moved. Then it gently slid back and hit the underground parking door, for the second time. At least I assume the first crash I heard was it hitting the door for the first time!

Fortunately for all involved, the building manager salted the ramp, and I was able to get back to sleep, waking again at 8, when my alarm went off, to the happy news that UBC was without power, the weight of the snow having pulled down the power lines. So, no class for me!! Not quite a snow day, but close enough.

Seeing as this is supposed to be a rare Vancouver treat, I went for a walk, and thought I'd take you along with me. . . so here are some pictures. It really must be an event, for as I was snapping photos for all you folks back home to commemorate the historic event, there were at least five other people doing the same thing. I know, most of you live places where snow is common place, but this is Vancouver snow. ooooohhh.


Here is my poor palm tree trying in vain to struggle against the snow. Yet more proof of my sadistic plant-killing disposition.



And the view from my balcony window. After much pondering, I took the flattering direction that doesn't give a prime view of the garbage and recycle bins. No amount of frosty white blanketing can hide that imperfection, it would seem.


This is the back of the house beside my apartment. I thought it looked frosty and cool, which is pretty much my explanation for all these photos.


There were a couple of snowmen on my walk, and children going mental as most of the schools were closed. They were having snowball fights and dragging around toboggans. Funnily most of them were wearing rubber rainboots on their feet, not winter boots. At least it wasn't cold.

This is a sweet little bridge in a park near my house. It normally looks very romantic, but I thought it looked a little darker, a little more sinister, which I liked better. What is romance compared to dark moodiness anyway? It's just fluff. Darkness wins every time. Or, in the words of Mel Brooks "Now you see that Evil will always triumph, because Good is dumb."

This shot is mostly for my parents, cause I think you can almost make out the hotel where they stayed from here, and I thought they might find it neat.

Well, there was my walk. It was weird. I think this is the first time in ages I was excited for it to be snowing. It's reaffirmed my belief that snow is better than rain any day. For one thing, it's easier to keep dry. For another, it's more fun, snow men and toboggans as case in point. But mostly, the worlds is so quiet and peaceful in the snow in a way that it isn't in the rain. It's expected to say snowy until Thursday, at which point the rain is expected to take over, wash away this pristine white blanket, and reveal the chaotic city underneath.

There's my waxing poetic for today. I hope there power stays out at UBC for the rest of the week!! Or at least that it goes out again on Friday. Dreaded proseminar Friday!!