Snow!

This is what we woke up to this morning......

White out.

Optimistically Emily and I set off for breakfast club.  We went all of 1 mile, then sat in traffic for 10 minutes, then did a u-turn and slid all the way home.  Underneath that thin layer of snow was ice.  I was lucky and only did 2 small but hair-raising skids.  Others were less lucky and I watched a little Fiat slide slowly and gracefully by, both back wheels locked in a useless brake.  Fortunately he had a clear path ahead and coasted gently into the curb, before straightening and crawling slowly on his way.

Treacherous driving.  The guy on the right is spreading salt on the road.

After dropping Emily off back home I tried the other direction to school, no traffic jams this time and I was about half way down the newly discovered short-cut of Church Lane when I got a call.  School was off!  Whee heeee.  Another u-turn and I was heading back home.   Not so lucky with the traffic jams this time and what should have taken 5 minutes took 30.

Cars going uphill lost traction as they accelerated, cars going downhill slid as they braked.  Any car that stopped, even on the flat, had trouble with wheel spin.  I was lucky - I only had to stop once and managed to get started again.  I reckon my top speed on that trip home was 6mph.

Church Lane

Then I caught up to Steve and walked Emily to school through Mill Meadow, which was looking stunning in the snow.  Then it was home to collapse in a heap.  Driving on ice is really stressful, school is really stressful, naughty students are really stressful - it seems I have a stress imbalance in my life and I don't like it!

The walk to school, Emmy in her new coat.