Today in England we are experiencing the most disruptive snowfall in 18 years. At first I found it slightly unbelievable how a few inches of snow could cause the country to grind to a halt (with flights canceled and London buses pulled from the roads) but then I learned there's been up to 10 inches of snow in some parts of London. I do understand that--given how this sort of snowfall happens so rarely--it would be uneconomical to buy snowplows, install snow emergency plans and take other precautions that are part of every Chicago winter, but I find it curious that the country was so ill-prepared despite five days of warnings.
I'm used to seeing apple blossoms, apples or rain-lashed branches outside this window when I wake up each morning, depending on the season. Today's scene is slightly different.
Here in Nottingham there's been some chaos, as well, with events canceled, businesses and schools closed and, in the schools that remained open, parents arriving before noon to collect their children and take them home so they wouldn't have to drive in rush hour (as one teacher friend told me). However, only about two inches has fallen in the city, although up to a foot could fall in the hilly country surrounding Nottingham overnight. Two inches feels like nothing to me! On the radio the presenter was asking for folks to call in and explain how to drive in snow. I considered calling up and saying, "Don't overcorrect the steering if your car starts to slide," but having once experienced this scary situation and having automatically overcorrected even knowing I wasn't supposed to, I didn't think I was the best person to offer advice!
I had some free time today, and took advantage of the weather, which so reminded me of Chicago, to go for a lovely winter's walk with my friend Jo. We took a quiet, meandering route through the Attenborough Nature Reserve, ending about an hour later at the Nature Centre for cups of hot cocoa. It was perfect, and by far the best way to spend such a day. I was lucky that it was my day off and I wasn't stuck on the roads like everyone else.
Jo and I pause along the woods in the Attenborough Nature Reserve.
This English robin seems quite content with the weather, as well, and obligingly poses on a low-hanging branch.
The many waterfowl who visit the Attenborough Reserve don't seem to feel the cold, either.
This black-watered marsh fills up with snow, and the only sound is the large flakes landing with soft "plips" on the branches and pool.
I was hoping you would blog about the snowfall in your beloved England. It is lovely.
I studied for a year in Canterbury, and I remember the day my English friend Sarah came to my front door, excitedly pointing at the ground. "What?" I said. "New boots?"
"No!" she said. "We got lots and lots of SNOW!"
I looked, and there was less than an inch on the ground. "You're kidding, right?" I said. She looked annoyed.
What can I say? I grew up in the Great Lakes. I still would love to show Sarah a winter here in Chicago.