Erieversible

Driving into Buffalo yesterday along part of I-90 I saw a gang of three plows, operating together, clearing the complete carriageway in one fell swoop.  Looked impressive.  Today on Transit Road there was  agang of four plows.  They sure know how to shift the snow around here!

I’m assured by colleagues at work that the sort of weather we have had in the last 36 hours is quite abnormal and due to the fact that the lake hasn’t yet frozen.  If true, then next winter will be quite mild as far as my experience will apply.

I had seen how this part of the world handles heavy snowfalls on a couple of previous visits to Erie, but this is my first full winter here and I remain impressed.

A week or so ago when I drove home to Erie from Buffalo I passed three vehicles off the road, in the snow, awaiting tows.

Two days ago, making the same drive, I saw three vehicles in the same predicament.

Today I left Erie this morning, rather than late afternoon, due to the weather forecast.  Want to guess how many vehicles had strayed off the road and were well and truly stuck?  

Is there a natural law at play here?

Anyway, safely tucked up at the apartment in Buffalo, watching the football.  See, I’m turning into a proper American!  :-)

Once again the weather is the main subject of today’s entry, but first a little piece of news.

Wegmans on Peach Street are now stocking Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles.  

I’ve always loved the art of understatement and the above, whether you realise it or not, is a classic example.  That news is something I want to shout from the rooftops, except that people would think I was mad.  That’s not to say I’m not, but most of them don’t yet think it.  And even then, there’s a big step between thinking and knowing…

We ventured up and around Peach Street this afternoon and while it was busy, considering it was the last Saturday before Christmas I’d have thought it would be far worse.  Either people have done all their shopping by now or the credit crunch (or whatever) really is biting.

Regardless of what all the pundit sites say, it seems to me that the ‘must have’ toy for this Christmas is the Nerf gun for the Wii.  Not the game plus gun set - that’s available, probably because it is somewhat overpriced - but the separate accessory Nerf gun.  It’s a wonderful idea, well executed, and ties two of the big brands together.  However, in true tradition of everything Nintendo, stocks are totally insufficient.

And finally, I did say the weather was the main topic.  I didn’t lie, I just got side-tracked!  I have never seen cars driving along with icicles growing from every surface.  It’s new to me, and yet so wonderful as well.