Musings, Norfolk

It Wasn’t Just A Snow Day

Gemma - Wheelescapades

It was a snow week.

I realise your probably sick of snow photos all over social media, blogs and the like. I am too. But that’s not going to stop me sharing mine.

So just in case you somehow missed it the UK was hit by The Beast From The East last week, the white stuff was everywhere. Then ‘Emma’ came to visit, the least scary name for a storm possible. Who’s idea was that? Don’t judge a book by its cover though, or a storm by its name. Emma was a pretty powerful force of nature that when combined with The Beast From The East became quite deadly. Fact.

It all started last Tuesday here in Norfolk. I was excited, we don’t get a lot of snow in these parts, I can’t remember when we last had enough to build a snowman. Well by Wednesday morning there was enough for a whole snow nation. Raymond Briggs would have been inspired!

Love or hate the white stuff you can’t deny how pretty it makes everything. It’s like walking through a wardrobe to Narnia, it makes the world a different place. You notice things you never did, because now they have snow on. The snow highlights every leaf and every branch on the trees.

You can see all the pathways people have taken before you, the traces they have left behind. Footprints. Wheel marks. People, big and small. Wheels big and small.

On Thursday we woke to what looked like a world in where someone had seriously ticked off Princess Elsa. ‘Emma’ had caused snow drifts that in places came up to your waist. The weather had been below freezing for a couple of days and it was like having your own personal ice rink.

I love snow. For a day.

The crunchy sound under wheel. The challenging wheelchair driving conditions can be quite fun. For a bit. Not that I can drive a car, but it’s probably a bit like that, stay in a slow gear, don’t stop moving whatever you do. Keep it steady.

Snow for me is a little easier than slush and ice. My tires get to grips with the snow a little more. There’s something for them to work with. Ice on the other hand is almost a no go. But you know by now, there’s not really such thing as a no go to me. If I think I can’t. I will.

Anyway I had a pre arranged doctors appointment on the Thursday. A follow up to the week before and the week before, I’ve not been well for a while as you may have read (it’s ok though now, it’s March, things are looking up. Health wise anyway!). So I had this Doctors appointment that I was determined to attend. The first obstacle was exiting my front door. My driveway comes to a gradual ramp towards my door to allow me easy (step free) access. This slope was deep in snow which has been trampled on and then frozen. I slowly wheeled over the lip in the doorway hoping I wouldn’t just carry on wheel skiing down the ramp and collide with the neighbour’s wall! I managed with just a little skid as I turned the corner. I was free!

I stuck to the road a lot of the way. It wasn’t busy. The cars had squished up a lot of the snow and this was easier for me to drive on. Also some of the pavements that had hardly been used you couldn’t see where the path ended and the road began. I’d have fallen off an unseen curb into deep snow never to be seen again!

With a steady snail pace I made it there.

The return journey went slightly less smoothly. I went home via the pharmacy, which involved a small slope. I started up this slope just fine, until my wheels lost grip and started spinning. I was sliding down the slope quicker than I could get up!

It reminded me of that time at Latitude festival when I got stuck in deep mud, wheels spinning, and friendly (drunk) festival goers came to my rescue and pushed me through. Well this snow storm also brought out the kindness in people (not drunk ones this time) and a gentlemanly passerby came to my rescue to give me a shove. Don’t stress, through all this I am not alone, I have my trusty PA with me that’s doing the best she can to assist me whilst staying upright herself.

This small gesture of kindness was nothing compared to what others were doing to help their fellow beings. Social media and television news were full of stories about communities coming together. People shovelling snow to get emergency services through to a village. Care home staff working 3 days straight, day and night, because other staff couldn’t get in to relieve them and take over their role. Cars being dug out by neighbours or pushed while their wheels are spinning. People on Facebook offering to help those that need assistance, whose relatives or carers can’t get to them. Checking on elderly and vulnerable friends and neighbors. Donating things and time to those living on the streets. I cannot even imagine what it is like to live on the streets. I have heating yet still use a hot water bottle.

So by Saturday (day 4) cabin fever had set in.

I hadn’t seen many faces. At least I’d seen some, unlike many.

I’m sure I’d usually jump at the chance of a quiet few days at home reading and catching up with telly. Doing crafts. You know. But we never want what we have do we. All I wanted was to get out. I needed to get out. I really fancied a nice posh coffee. But I couldn’t.

My relationship with snow is a bit of a love hate one. I love how it makes us look at the world differently, see the beauty around us. Makes us come together and be a community. I hate how it shows our weaknesses, causes danger and interrupts our lives.

I have realised one thing. We in England are not cut out for weather. Weather in all its form stumps us. Controls us. Brings us to a halt. We are at our best on a slightly cloudy day in May, where the temperature reaches 20 degrees and there’s a mid morning shower.

The snow has pretty much gone now, and I miss it already. A little. But I don’t want it to come back too soon.

Published by Gemma - Wheelescapades

Whenever friends and I are out we always end up discussing, critiquing, analysing where we are and what we are doing. From talking about the food we are eating, the soap in the toilets, the awful bus journey to our destination, anything and everything we encounter. Because of my disability (SMA type2) many of the situations we get into, issues we discuss and laughs we have can be due to wheelchair access. Often me getting stuck in mud or shingle, or me making my way through the most cram packed shop you can imagine, wondering how I am ever going to find the way out again! I aim to write a blog that describes these dramas, tells stories of our laughs, adventures and frustrations, while giving detailed information on accessibility and wheelchair access. Also I like tea. ALOT. The quality of the tea often determines my return just as much as the accessibility.

79 thoughts on “It Wasn’t Just A Snow Day”

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  9. I love your pictures of the snow on the trees. I have to say I’m ready for spring. Where I live the weather is all over the place right now. Fairly warm yesterday and now it’s cold today. Come on Spring temperatures.

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  10. Incredible pics! Even though I’m sick of winter, a freshly fallen snow is very pretty isn’t it. And I love looking at individual snowflakes because I think it’s truly amazing that there are no two snowflakes exactly alike.

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      6. I haven’t seen loads myself. But I highly recommend anything Mathew Bourne if you like a little twist and something different. I’ve seen his Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. And his Edwards Scissorhands musical. Amazing.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. It snowed last week here too & I agree it’s nice for a day. Also when the snow starts melting and turns into slush is the worst!
    It rained earlier this week & now all the snow is gone & I miss it, but I’ve seen enough snow for this season 😊

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  13. I understand your mixed feelings about the snow. By Friday evening I had a bad case of cabin fever, but I really miss it, not just for how lovely it makes everything look, but for the change of routine too!

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  19. Aww, I love your beautiful pics, but aiyiyi! – can totally agree with you about the traction for your wheels, though! I’ve spent more chunks of my life on crutches than in a chair, and any foul weather is downright dangerous on crutches. Even just a little rain.

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  20. I really hate snow. It’s great for one day when you don’t need to go out but having issues with my mobility and osteoporosis it’s really not something I like to go out in. Plus this country isn’t geared up for snow one little bit. I hate how everything grinds to a halt

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    1. No we aren’t prepared at all for the weather. I guess because it’s so rare for us to get something extreme. No, I was glad when it finally went. Even though I love how pretty it can look. Until it turns to slush.

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  22. Think you totally bore the brunt of this storm. By the time it got to Bangor, Emma was nothing more than a bit of a snowflake with a bad dose of wind 😀

    I’m ready for spring ASAP!

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    1. Haha!
      Yes we did get it much worse than I expected. The forecasts are always saying we will get some extreme weather of some kind. But I’m like ‘ye whatever, we never do’
      They sure showed me!

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  23. You captured it well: I love you snow! Thanks for coming! Now get out!! I do enjoy the “team sport” mentality that emerges when conquering the snow–it does bring out goodness in people, and I am so relieved that your fellow snow warriors took the time, showing their best sides to assist you when you couldn’t get traction.

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  24. Ugh, I get the whole cabin fever too even when too exhausted to go out and it’s so frustrating, and I don’t even have the wheelchair issues to contend with. I’m glad you had a kindly (sober) gentleman to help give you a shove at one point. I’m hoping that’s our lot for snow this year, fingers crossed…! Oh spring, hurry up and get here!
    Beautiful photos you’ve managed to get though 🙂
    Caz xx

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    1. Photos taken from the safety and warmth of my house!
      Yes we must be due a very bright and sunny spring/summer.
      I understand the cabin fever all too well, I’ve had a rough couple of months health wise so haven’t left the house as much as I’d like. I find crafting and reading helps, for a while anyway. Do you have any cabin fever tips?

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      1. I always find something to tidy up or sort through, whether it’s clothes that don’t fit, kitchen cupboards, sorting old photos into albums, rearranging storage space etc. Puzzles can be good too, like Crosswords or jigsaws even if you can manage the concentration. I’d like to get back into drawing/colouring/sketching a little, and find a crafty project to do soon too, but I always fall back on reading (though I do love it) because there are too many times my brain and body don’t seem capable of anything too creative. I really do hope things are brighter for you health-wise, and that by the time the spring rolls around you can enjoy it a little more.xx

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      2. Sorting is a great way to pass the time. Once I start I always find more jobs to do! Sudoku is something I enjoy but haven’t done for a while. Thanks for the ideas 😊

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  25. I feel exactly about snow, despite the fact that my wheelchair doesn’t like it and the fact that the person going out in it with me just wants to go home.I am glad you are feeling better.

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    1. Thank you.
      Yes it can be difficult not being able to go out alone and making somebody join you when sometimes it’s obvious they’d rather stay in. I’m mostly lucky though.

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  29. I would say that I love the snow, but living in the middle of Canada where we get snow from November to April, I think that’s a given. Living in Dublin was tough weatherwise for me, because the damp is hard when you are used to dry cold! We had a good 40cm dumping here on Monday, and we are pretty prepared, thankfully. The only downfall is we never have actual snow days- if you are taking the day off, it’s a vacation day. I hope that you got as many beautiful pictures of the snow as possible!!!

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    1. Wow that’s a long time of snow, and a lot of it! I think I would like to holiday somewhere snowy where the country is good at handling it, unlike England. I do like how we get a variety of weathers here though. I have to agree I don’t like the rain and damp. Unless I’m inside!

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  30. The snow here wasn’t quite as bad as yours and my daughter was gutted that her school was about the only one to stay open…..but like you I didn’t get out for days. I did have one momentous fall..but it was indoors!! so having avoided going out (our estate is very hilly) I fall in our hallway. You are right though, we Brits, or perhaps I should say English, are not cut out for changes in weather – particularly on road & rail!! But the Spring is coming….

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  31. I think snow is so pretty…..in another state or country. I wish I could cut out the months of January and February. We’ve had a rough winter this year and to say I’m ready for Spring is an understatement. Your pictures are gorgeous!

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  33. I find snow pretty also – when it firsts fall it is so crisp and clean looking. Agree slush is the worse and I would rather snow than rain in the winter (Canada). We have a winter parking ban on the streets when it snows you can’t park on the streets because snow plows have to get through. 20 degrees in May would be a fluke for us!

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    1. That’s a great rule for when you have a lot of snow. Makes things safer. We just aren’t used to those conditions in the uk so it always seems to come as quite a shock to us. Even though it is winter!
      Yes I love the first snowfall when everything is so crisp and clean!

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