(From the outside, the waterpark looked amazing -- waterslides! hot pool! wave pool! river section! pirate ship for climbing! small slide for children! tiny pool for toddlers! The only part the child enjoyed was the last one. The waterslides were too old for him; the hot pool too hot, the river too fast and too crowded, the wave pool too rough, the pirate ship too splashy, the tiny slide ditto. Sigh. Ah well. I did enjoy my time sitting in 18 inches of tepid water. Really, I did.)
Anyway, where was I? Right. I had held my breath about this trip; travelling north in winter always seems like asking for bad weather. If there's snow in Victoria, you gotta know there's more snow further north. But the drive was relatively painless. There was some rain, but the roads were clear of snow and ice, so that while it wasn't a pleasant drive -- rain, backsplash, and even some bright sunshine making for less than pleasant driving -- it wasn't a dangerous one.
We arrived at the house of friends to a lovely meal and some nice wine; The Boy was shy and reticent about a new place, but soon warmed up. The best thing by far about this place was that the two hosts have a 3.5 year old nephew who is often around, and so there were new toys -- not many, but some -- and the place was largely toddler / preschooler proof. What's better is that the two homeowners themselves were very relaxed about things -- don't worry, he can't break anything, oh, it's ok if he touches this or that. It was quite the contrast from my parents' home, and very nice. This was also compounded by them being childless themselves and loving children, and so not only was the house child-friendly, but they were keen to interact and entertain the child, and tolerant of our entertainments (conversations being interrupted, etc.) so that the visit was very relaxed.
Alas, we had only thought to stay one night.
This morning as they prepared yet another gorgeous meal (we really must visit these people more often!) we glanced casually outside and noticed that the rain, which had been falling steadily all night, had turned sleety. I anxiously checked the roads and then the computer for both weather forecasts and road conditions, and was reassured on all counts -- it was warm enough that everything was melting, and the roads and forecast were clear. We finished breakfast, unconcerned that the precipitation outside was getting whiter and whiter. I made a ferry reservation for 3, and then we headed back into the living room, where, ominously, the blinds had not been opened.
We sat in there a half hour or more, and then one of our party happened to leave the room; upon returning she opened the blinds to reveal two inches of snow accumulation and heavy snowfall.
You know, you just have to laugh. This is so damn unusual for this part of the world. To have snow at this time; to have so much of it; to have it for so long. To continue to have it, for it to accumulate, and for -- for the love of God! -- for it to rain all night, not melt the snow, and turn back into snow that actually accumulates. I hadn't even really considered it was a possibility; not when there were puddles outside! when it was melting as it fell! when the temperature was above freezing! Ah no! It won't be a problem!
Our hosts were so welcoming and so amiable that they were more than willing that we should stay another night, but we had been away from home for so long and were just eager to get back to our own beds. However, we did realize that the 45 minute trip to the ferry would be downright dangerous under these conditions, and so we sat back to wait and see -- nothing to be done about it, after all, none of us has the ability to stop the snowfall. About 45 minutes before our desired departure time, the snow let up slightly, and we began to rush about frantically packing (us) and making lunch (them) in preparation for leaving.
Suffice to say that we are all home safely (not to ruin the story for you all) but that was easily the worst drive we have made in five years. The snow on the roads in the town was wet, heavy, and inches thick; the accumulation meant we skidded around when turning corners and bottomed out on particularly nasty stretches. The highway had patches of clear pavement but was also mostly covered with thick, packed ice, which made driving uncomfortable and perilous. In sections where there was no ice, there was water running in rivers over any available space. The back spray from the inches of slush was blinding.
I hate winter.
Vancouver is its usual mess. The main roads are all fine, but the side roads are a complete disaster. There's only a single track down most of them, and no place to park at all. From the looks of things, many people who parked on the street haven't moved their cars in a week or more. There's easily a foot of snow lying about; since it's covering the drains we're in for a long slow melt and some flooding before this is all over.
But here we are, back at home, safe and sound despite mother nature's attempts to make things difficult. The heat is turned up to where we want it to be -- no more freezing like at the parents! -- and my things and my comforts are all here. I am looking forward to a lot of sitting down and relaxing, to some time with my child, to some time with my husband, to building an enormous train track in my living room and watching Thomas the Tank Engine puff his way merrily around it, and to buying stock in battery companies because inevitably Thomas will be left on, wedge himself somewhere, and be powerless the next time we come to play. While I'm left with the customary post-Christmas let-down, I think that the relaxed routine of this week will let me down with a nice soft bump instead of a head shaking thump, and that I can look out towards 2009 with a rosy glow of contentment, seeing the realization of hopes, the continuation of personal growth, and the gratefulness that I have a family that I love, a child I adore, a career that is satisfying, and a great future to look forward to.
That is, if the snow ever leaves.
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