Snow

Wow! it is absolutely gorgeous out! I can't believe I'm leaving all this in a few short weeks. I think I will miss the snow quite a bit when I leave. I sat at the window yesterday evening before going to work, watching the way the snow was beginning to soften the edges of the city landscape as dusk fell and everything became a black and white picture. It was a steady snow, as easy to see through as a light mist, since the wind was barely quivering the smallest branches of the trees. Now that I'm home after a 12 hour night shift , during which the snow steadily fell, sometimes thicker than others, it's even more beautiful yet. I don't think there is anything in the world that could be so utterly breath-taking in it's simple beauty as a new-fallen snow. It covers the dirt, softens the edges, and wraps up the world in a covering as all-encompassing as the love of God. I had to take some pictures... we got about a foot of snow (more or less depending on where in town you live) Snowmobiles have gone by my house.

Down side to the snow... I almost didn't get to leave work. As of half an hour before my shift ended, more than 47 nurses had called in sick (either because of the weather conditions or they really were sick, there's a nasty bug going around) at HSC. Our ward has shut 6 beds, so a properly staffed ward is 6 nurses. First one nurse calls in that she can't make it because of weather conditions... okay, we can make do, that just means the charge nurse (who normally deals with issues and doesn't take patients) needs to take a patient load. Then a nurse calls in sick, about 40 mins before she's supposed to be there, and there's no one to cover. Being two nurses short means someone from nights may need to stay. But then we got a hold of a different nurse who agreed to come in. Numberous people called that they were stuck or the roads were bad, so they would be late. Then, at 10 mins to shift change, another nurse calls in that he's stuck and there's no way he'll make it in. That's the nurse I was supposed to give my patients to. In the end, the charge nurse from the night took my patients and sent me home.
Of course, it's fine and all to send me home... but remember how many people were stuck/late etc.? The roads were... not as bad as I thought they'd be. I know which roads to stick to in these weather conditions, and I made it home without getting stuck or having an accident. Luckily, people are cautious in these conditions, and being early on a holiday weekend sunday morning, hardly anyone was on the streets(unfortunately there were also people walking in the middle of the street). And my wonderful father and the neighbour were kind enough to clear the end of the driveway for me so I could actually pull into the driveway (they had to push me through the snow on the road that didn't have a path through it). I honestly don't mind driving in this weather... it's a challenge. :D

Never forget to see the beauty in a day like today. I could sit at the window for hours (or venture into the snow if I have good reason. I stood in the middle of the intersection for a bit to get some snow pictures)