Well, for the first time since we moved to Oxford, we had a proper snowfall. It came down just about all day and it stuck and it was glorious. Sort of.
(And now I'm going to wax poetic about snow.)
I hadn't realized just how much I missed winter - and snow. My little prairie girl heart positively bursts with delight when it snows. I feel calm, serene. The world gets softer and quieter somehow.
This was the kind of winter day we dreamt about at home. Lovely falling snow in just sub-zero temperatures. I walked home from school (about a 45 minute-trek) and didn't get cold at all.
Also, I think Oxford really deserves more snowfalls. The city looks utterly lovely under a nice white blanket. Snow on spires - snow on ancient stone walls - snow falling peacefully over churchyards.
I made sure to take pictures, because I don't know how often I'll see Oxford like this.
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Mansfield College |
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Holywell Cemetary, on the way to the English Faculty |
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Icicles! |
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I quite liked how the snow settled on the busts of the old men in front of the Sheldonian Theatre. |
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The Radcliffe Camera, with All Souls College in behind |
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The University Church, recently out from under a bunch of scaffolding |
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And the cemetary at St. Giles, a great place to have lunch with Tim |
Now. The negative part of the story. You see, the British don't get snow like this very often. Today 10 cm/4 inches were expected to accumulate across much of England. Schools closed. The Bodleian's library system closed at 3 pm. Trains and buses were cancelled and delayed. This is all rather annoying.
Especially since at home everyone just drives slowly and it isn't really a big deal to have this much snow in a day. The only time parts of the University of Saskatchewan started shutting down during my undergraduate days was when Saskatoon had its worst blizzard in fifty years!
I suppose it all depends on what you're used to. Thus, I cackle every time I read about how "very cold" it is in the British press. Cold? You ain't seen nothing! It was -2 for most of today in Oxford; tomorrow's high in Saskatoon tomorrow will be -21. (For comparison purposes, the coldest it has EVER gotten in Oxford is -17...)
So, I hope the snow sticks around (though it does mean I can't cycle down to school while it lasts) and that the weather-related disruptions end soon. Also, perhaps the government and local councils should look into investing in more winter weather-related infrastructure?