The Benefit of Snow?

[Linky Lee]

Well as most of you probably know it's snowing today in England.

For me this means school is closed and I can spend the whole day playing saxophone and catching up on any school work that I may be behind on. Marvelous.

What about you lot? does the snow benefit you or is it just plain hindering?

Here's what I've gotten up to already:

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/662/snowtenorhy5.jpg

 

[Greywolf]

You should live in the north west mate.

I'm sitting at home watching people playing on the beach.

 

[Bobby G]

Playing what on the beach? Do you have snow there? Often, when it snows, we are in a little pocket of Herts that seems to miss out on it, but not this time! It's beautiful, deep and dangerous, just like my Doreen. I need to go out but the street is full of 12-year-olds hurling snowballs at anything that moves.

Cheers, Bob

 

[chrisshaw]

I spent 6 winter season in the french Alps working as a Ski Resort Manager, Ski Guide. I love skiing and the snow. I never got bored of skiing. Bit then it snowed on christmas day, my first winter in Britain and I got married 4 days later.
I just wish there was more surf on the southeast coast and I wouldn't miss skiing too much.

 

[Rogerb]

We are all different..fortunately 🙂

To me, skiing and surfing appear somewhat futile occupations..... you make all that effort to go up/out there, and then you just come down/back :?

Now, windsurfing.. that's different.. you can actually *go* somewhere..and back, using the elements to provide the power 😀

(Not knocking those who do enjoy it/them .... it's just not for me 😉 )

 

[Jules]

I've always been a big fan of snow (you had to be, growing up in Leeds in the 1970s!) and I'm delighted that my 1 1/2 year old son is finding it hilarious. He spent breakfast time stood on a chair, peering out of the window and giggling at the general whiteness..

 

[jonf]

Generally I hate snow, despite having grown up in the frozen North. I ride a motorbike in to work, thirty miles each way. When it snows I have to take the train, which I hate. Today, though, I decided not to bother, and took the day off. Took my eldest to school, only to find it was closed. So me, five year old eldest, one of her friends and my two year old made some snowmen in the back garden. I haven't done that for 25 years, as we really haven't had much snow since I had kids. Marvellous. 🙂

 

[suethesax]

Snowing here in the lower dales (Yorkshire) - not too much though. The dogs love it and it's really funny watching them play in it -trying to bite it as it falls. Does that make them stupid for doing it or me stupid for having so much fun watching them?

Anyway I like the snow and I love ski-ing.

Whatever you are doing or wherever you are - hope you are having fun 🙂

 

[Bobby G]

Definitely having fun here, 3 snowmen so far with Abby, my daughter and Tom, her 9-year-old. It's proper snow here too, rolls up and sticks to itself really well, none of your powdery or slushy rubbish.

I have to say I don't do ski-ing, far too dangerous and painful if you fall over (I'd do surfing, or sailboarding or something where you only get wet if you fall off).

I'd love to drive a bobsleigh!

Cheers, Bob

 

[chrisshaw]

Well Roger, skiing isn't much effort these days to get up the mountain. These days, they have 'lifts' which are mechanical devices that carry people to the top of a mountain.

Quite the contary, surfing is a sport that rides waves, Seeing that waves only break in shallow water, a short paddle may be required.

I nearly took up windsurfing, but I couldn't be bothered to carry it to the water's edge, I imagine it comes with experience, not that I'm mocking windurfers 😉

 

[Linky Lee]

my friends came up to me today and we had some fun out in the snow. Last time I remembered there being proper snow was a good three years ago.

I've never been ski-ing myself but I have been snowboarding a couple times. I tried windsurfing when I was younger, didn't get into it as i wasn't strong enough to get the sail up in high winds. Surprisingly difficult.

 

[Throckmorten]

For me snow has two benefits:
I can stay comfy inside and practice all day (I play "another" instrument)
or
I can be snowshoeing in a winter wonder land and messing up great landscape shots along the way.


usually it has to be one or the other. You all know what it's like trying to play with frozen hands ....

You may have heard the NE US is getting plenty. Just north of us here in central New York they will have over 100 inches this week.
I love every one of them. I even like cleaning off my car. Taking off work to get out in it.

 

[Bobby G]

100 inches!!! :erm: Our country grinds to a halt with 1% of that! Having said that, it must have been the right kind of snow today as the trains were running well.

I've been off work (signed off with the back) but haven't managed any practising today, I've been busy ministering to the needs of the two pregnant women in the family. In a DIY home-handyman sense that is. I may not be able to paint like Tris but boy can I put shelves up, fix dripping taps, replace door hinges, box in things with mdf etc etc :whistle: while I work. And do various people's shopping!

One definite benefit of the snow is that it's ages since I saw so many kids of all ages (and a lot of parents) out in the open just having a load of fun.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Rogerb]

Don't let your boss's spy with the videcam spot you doing all that 'manual work', Bob 🙂

 

[oliver_bentley]

i sat in our studio today and counted the snow flakes - I got to 12 before it stopped (or they got too small to see)

I just dont get it - it rains more in Carlisle than anywhere I've been in England, yet when it gets cold enough for snow, now a drop of precipitation falls, froxen or other wise.

(save one night returning from a gig over the tops where the hail stones were as big as golf balls - even that stopped when we got into town)

Any one else live in a snow dry spot?
Oli

 

[delboy1961]

Oliver..been living in Somerset for 19 years and never seen snow settle.I lived in Surrey for 25 years and remember lots of the stuff

 

[tris]

I remember well the snow in jan 96' at Leeds I had an exam that started at 9am. the snowfall overnight mean it was up to my waste and i had to walk in from kings road / otley road junction through headingly. The walk usually took me an hour that day it took 3 to get to the university.

When I cycled up in Yorkshire I wondered why a lot of the roads had 6 foot pols sticking up either side, so that they could find the road when it snowed!!

Hope the back is getting better Bob, keep stretching and you will be fine in no time.

 

[Bobby G]

Rubbish today, a little flurry at lunchtime, other than that just messy slush everywhere making the place look very dismal. Just round the corner is a roundabout which yesterday had a family of about 16 snowmen/women/kids grouped around it, ranging in height from 6 feet down to 6 inches. Needless to say all their heads had been broken off by this morning. Some people have no appreciation for art.

Tris, my back is much better, nearly back to normal thanks to a combination of stretching exercises and light DIY. I was signed off for 2 weeks, but I think a third could be construed as malingering. I'm making some conscious effort to improve my posture in a kind of proto-Alexander fashion by seating my head better on my neck which naturally seems to improve the feeling down my back. Hopefully this improvement will eventually a) become a subconscious effort and b) filter it's way into improving my stance when playing saxophone.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Lisa]

Hey Linky Lee, I love that pic of you playing in the snow!

I generally get scared when any adverse weather condition strikes - however mild. I rely on trains to get me from home in Sheffield to work in leeds each day, and back again. I'm one of many, many people who make the daily commute but when the trains go wrong it's just hellish!

A few weeks ago we had a bit of wind and all trains to Sheffield were cancelled. I ended-up getting 2 buses and a train home, which took about 4 hours. Thank goodness for National Express...

Lisa

 

[Bobby G]

Well, it's all gone here. Heavy rain has washed it all away, but I'd rather that than slush and muck hanging around for ages.

Roll on the next bit of extreme climatic conditions. Me, I love a good thunderstorm. Today I am mostly rebuilding the shed that got blown about in the recent high winds.

Tomorrow, my sicknote for the bad back having run out, I am back at work which means lots more playing than I've been managing these last two weeks 🙂 What a chore.

Cheers, Bob