It snowed in Nashville. You've seen all that snow on the news and on the Weather Channel. Texans up to their knees in snow, my fellow suthunaz digging out their cars and people bundled up like Eskimos. (There's a song in there somewhere, but that's a blog for another day.)
Snow is not really liked by the Suthunah. I've already told stories of how the stores fill up with people buying bread and milk in quantities for no known reason (a suthun friend tells me that it's in their genes, but he's not much of a scientist, so we'll take that with the proverbial grain of salt). The real problem for the Suthunah is the snow that lingers. Lingering snow in the south means ice. Actually any snow in the south turns to ice, the snow is a very wet snow.
Now, for those of you Nawthunaz who don't realize it, there are two kinds of snow. Colorado has that powder dry snow. Can't do much more than ski on it. Up by the great lakes they know wet snow and they prepare for it. Snow plows, sand with salt and people with snow blowers keep those sidewalks clear.
Which brings me to discussion of today's photo. See, when I was growing up in Colorado, the city had an ordinance which stated that each homeowner or business owner is responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of their property cleared and must be cleared within 1 day of a snow storm. (This may or may not be true, as I suspect that could have been something my mother used to get us to clear the walks. I never heard of anyone getting a ticket or summons for NOT cleaning the sidewalk, but that really doesn't mean much. Again, I digress.)
Even though that wet snow is heavier than &*%$!!! I was out there on Saturday shoveling a path to the car. Yes, I know what it will do to my back and yes I know that the top of the snow is crunchy and will give me plenty of traction. What we see here is ingrained in me from my youth. Gotta clean the sidewalks. It's in my genes. We don't have front sidewalks out in my neighbor hood, so I just shoveled enough of a path to keep from falling.
Then, this morning, this is what greeted me when I got off the bus...and I work only a couple of blocks from the state capital. There is no ordinance for ice and snow in these parts. I know what to expect ahead of time, however and carry with me a set of studs I can attach to my boots. No slipping and sliding for me. They do look askance at me when I come into the building. I guess they don't want my studs scratching up their marble floor.
Suthunaz...gotta love em....
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