Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.

Ashley Smith

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Ice... 2.0

I am writing this short missive mostly for my friends and family whose only familiarity with ice is having something to clink around in a glass while keeping your Mimosa cold. (Does one put ice in a mimosa??)  I have to say - you are the smart ones.  You may be missing out on the bewitching reality of four seasons and be singing "I'm Dreaming of A White Christmas" wearing your sandals and Bermuda shorts, you are not, however, trying to stay upright on a sheet of ice.

Ice? We don't need no stinkin' ice!

Normally we get some snow.  and then some more snow.  and then, lest we forget, some more snow.  So far this winter, we got some snow. Then it warmed up and we got some rain (Rain? really?) Then, of course, the temps dropped to the single digits.  Even those of you in temperate climes know what that  means: I...C...E... (yes, icy).

Well, we are tough go-getters out here, so we strap our ice cleats on our snow boots and sally forth.  No problemo. 

Okay, the weather says, that was not enough?  We now introduce...

ICE 2.0

This is not your beginner's ice.  Let me draw an analogy here.  Imagine, if you will, that someone has replaced your front side walk with a mirror.  And on this mirror they have emptied a 5 gallon bucket of mineral oil.  You are now expected to walk across this without falling on your arse.  This is ice.

ICE 2.0 is this base of oiled mirror with a 2 pound box of BBs dumped on it.  I double-dog dare you to be able to walk on that.

This is what we awakened to this morning:  Nine degrees (F) and a light dusting of slick dry snow on top of sheer ice. Yes, ICE 2.0

Suffice it to say that my walk across the field to work this morning was punctuated with shrieks of terror and curse words.

I did not, however, fall on my arse. 

Yet.