The title above (“the snow’s beautiful today”) was the very first phrase I learned in junior-high-school French, as part of a dialogue about skiing. But it is lovely this morning: eight to ten inches of snow fell on Chicago yesterday. Nearly all flights out of O’Hare and Midway airports were cancelled, of course, but since I’m not going anywhere I was not distressed. Instead, I could simply enjoy the view from my crib (click to enlarge).
The snow prevented me from seeing the skyline downtown, which is usually visible:
My car, of course, was covered with snow, but the street had not yet been plowed, and that creates a danger of an upcoming snowplow throwing up a wall of snow that is impenetrable without shoveling (I don’t shovel on moral grounds). I therefore brushed the snow off my windows in a perfunctory way (as academics are wont to do), and, after several tries, managed to get my car moving on the icy streets at about 8 km per hour.
Although it takes only a few minutes for me to drive to work, and I almost always walk (11 minutes door to door), I drove to procure a parking spot at the University, whose streets are always plowed promptly. This guarantees that I can get my car out. (I once had to wait over two weeks until the snow melted enough to drive away from my home.)
Voilà: the Ceiling Catmobile in safe haven:
It’s no weather for cats (not my photo):
Wow… That’s a lotta snow, Dr.C. Good strategy about relocating your car. You did clear a little off the hood, I hope. 🙂
I don’t know. The caption seems to indicate that the picture was taken after he moved the car. What a maniac, driving his car covered in snow like that. Must be an adrenalin junky.
We had a record snowfall in NYC a couple of years ago, but temperatures in the 40s and 50s wiped it out within four day. I can remember a huge snowstorm 18 or so years ago that left cars buried for three weeks. The city was actually dumping snow in the river.
How are the squirrels faring?
Yeah.
I will try to post on the squirrels soon. Short answer: they seem to have stopped building their nest, and I’m worried that putting out the socks spooked them. But they’re around all the time, and I’m regularly feeding them nuts, seeds, and peanut butter. I have moved their feeding station to another windowsill about 30 feet away, and hope that that’s sufficiently far that they will continue to build a nest.
Si ons aller faire du ski?
This made me smile so much. Thanks.
Yes, that’s the dialogue!
Remember this one: “Moi, j’aime mieux les frites”?
Ok, now I feel compelled to ask: what is the moral case for not shoveling snow?
My interpretation:-
If I rearrange snow in a public space I’m responsible for any harm to others that might result
Avoidance of wasted effort perhaps?
Didn’t stop even for a quick pee!!
Mais où sont les neiges d’antan?
“The day, a compunctious Sunday after a week of blizzards, had been part jewel, part mud. In the midst of my usual afternoon stroll through the small hilly town attached to the girls’ college where I taught French literature, I had stopped to watch a family of brilliant icicles drip-dripping from the eaves of a frame house.” — Vladimir Nabokov
How are the nesting squirrels?
Using Jerry’s old socks as tiny sleeping bags!
Sadly, no. See above.
What’s immoral about shovelling? We never see enough snow for long enough to need clearing so have never faced this moral question
Come to Saskatoon, the snow from my driveway is piled about 1.6 metres high.
I can confirm that Saskatoon is indeed coated with a thick layer of snow, and has been for some time.
I am also curious about this “moral reason” for not shoveling.
Failure to clear the snow off of one’s car before driving it counts as a moral failing, in my opinion – even at 8km/h, snow falling and blowing from the car will cause severe visual obstruction for other drivers as well as the driver of that car.
I miss snow in the winter. Looks like a beautiful day. Nice winter view from your crib.
Must have been a very ferocious storm for I don’t know why there is a black and white (Holstein) cow on the roof of the second structure on the right side of the street, about 7 o’clock down from the UFO.
I see the cow! But no UFO?
I’m glad you found the cow, as I was hoping not to be the only one. It had worried me that “UFO” wasn’t descriptive enough but, isn’t that a possibly grounded flying saucer about mid picture near the right edge? Actually, I wanted the “UFO” to help in determining the positioning of the cow, otherwise its lame. Sorry if I sent you on a fruitless UFO search.
You just sent me on another one. 😀
and by contrast Victoria BC are holding their annual Flower count. http://www.flowercount.com/
Can’t we just say that you don’t shovel on grounds? What does it add to call those grounds moral?
And, there are Coffee Grounds – which are necessary.
My wife just retired and joined me in Florida (for good) and when watching the reports of ten inches in Chicago, she could barely contain her smile. She is now in training to become an almost native Floridian.
The cat got a whole two body-lengths out into the white wastes. Brave cat! Now back inside and tell the bipedal staff to turn the heating up a notch. And get the tuna warming!