Ive been more or less stuck at home for the last three weeks!
There has been heavy snow either falling from the sky or completely covering the streets for more than three weeks straight. Vancouver has not had this much snow in over fifty years according to the records.
This of course has meant that riding my motorbike has not been possible, and I dont have any other vehicle, so Ive been having to make do with public transport and walking - Walking works for basic food supplies but visiting friends and getting other stuff done has been very trying.
There has been so much snow that people have just given up shoveling their side walks so the snow has just built up and walking the 2km to the local shopping centre is a real workout on the slippery/uneven/knee-deep/wet ground.
On my walks, I constantly stop to lend a hand in getting someone or others car un-bogged, and there is the constant sound of people shoveling their front paths and driveways. Two days ago I had people coming around to buy my aquarium and I had to shovel my front steps so they could get in and out. It took me three hours to do just the steps. And I was using a regular shovel too (not a big snow shovel) because the snow is so wet and heavy. I havent had blisters on my hands from shoveling for years :))
On the couple of occasions when I have taken public transport into town, I have had to walk several Km more than expected because the buses keep getting stuck (wheels just spin) on hilly sections of streets. And while walking around among other shoppers in town (while trying to stay upright on the slippery pavement or cross the streets through the snow banks, or jumping over massive slurry puddles), the background conversation of people was always about the snow, and easily the most common word I heard was "Ridiculous!"... Its all been quite stressful for the poor little denizens of Vancouver :)))
But help has arrived... In the form of rain!
Yes, I dont think people here in Vancouver have ever felt so happy to see it raining as over the last few days. Normally there is far too much rain and grey skies for peoples liking here, but just now it is very welcome indeed. Over the past couple of days we have had over a 100mm of rain and it has so far got rid of about half the accumulated snow...
that still leaves about half a metre of it at my place, but at least it is reducing, not increasing...
But I think it will get colder again in a day or so Oh well :))
