Let it snow, let it snow

Today we discovered something. It seems Sapporo can be classed as the snowiest city in the world (counting major cities with a population of over 1 million). Snow is just a feature of life here from November through to March. An overnight snowfall sees an early morning stint of snow clearing outside so that people can walk along the pavement. The car needs to be cleared. Occasionally (like today), snow needs to be cleared off the flat roof. Everywhere you go snow is piled up at the side of the roads. Although the snow is cleared away now and again, the road surface gradually gets higher and higher with packed snow. The roads of course get narrower too as the snow mountains at the edge of the pavements encroach on the road. Sometimes you can have a milder day like today resulting in the snow on the roads becoming softer and the outcome can be large (and deep) ruts in the snow - fun to drive through (if you have winter tyres and four wheel drive) until it freezes again. But life goes on, just at a slightly slower pace and you always need to allow a bit more time to get from place to place. And of course it's great fun for the boys - and good exercise and a chance to meet the neighbours as everyone goes out at much the same time (often very early!) to get rid of the white stuff. We do enjoy (most of the time) living in the snowiest city in the world.