And so it begins...

It snowed yesterday. Yep, I kid you not. This is life in Alaska, when you are pretty much guaranteed snow before Hallowe'en and it's usually all gone by the end of May. If you're lucky. Why did I move here you ask? The simple answer is because I am stupid, and I made a huge mistake. Much as I don't believe in regrets; they are pretty much a waste of energy and don't really achieve anything, still I will probably always regret this one. But, the trick is to try and make the best of everything, and see it as a doorway to something else, so although I am dreading another Winter here, I cheer myself up with the knowledge that it will be my last in the Frozen North. Next year, Perfect Husband and myself are planning an escape to a much sunnier home, so watch this space to see how it all pans out.
But for now, we are here and must deal with it. So, out came The Big Coat; this will now be my Best Friend and Life Preserver until next May. Travelling by bus means a ten minute walk to my bus stop, then a ten minute wait, in temperatures that can get as low as -24 C; NOT funny at all. Add to that the fact that the City will ensure that the roads are plowed, but the pavement? Not a priority (few people here actually walk anywhere) so in a fresh snowfall you can literally be struggling through over a foot of snow. I can't leave the house any later as the bus will drive straight past the stop if nobody is there waiting, even if the bus is actually early!! So my full Winter attire consists of Big Coat, at least one pair of gloves, legwarmers and snow boots and a reflective armband, as in the depths of Winter it stays dark until about 10am. On especially cold days I wear an extra cardigan under my coat too.
But for now the Big Coat will suffice, and luckily, after yesterday's thoroughly miserable weather, today is bright, clear and sunny, although still cold. The snow, while being a warning of what's to come, didn't settle-yet.
When I got on my bus yesterday I sat opposite a woman holding a small black dog, with huge pointy ears, a Chihuahua maybe? I'm not sure, but so cute I couldn't help but smile at it, the way you would smile at a young child sitting on the bus with its parent. Dogs aren't actually allowed on the bus, unless they are a Service Dog, and I have no idea what service a Chihuahua would provide, apart from being cute. Maybe the woman told the bus driver it was her adopted child or something, or maybe she just pretended it was a handbag.
Anyway, as I have previously mentioned, it was, as we Brits say Bloody Freezing Out, and this poor tiny dog didn't have a coat on (I noticed the owner did) and when it came time to get off the warm and toasty bus the tiny dog planted its feet firmly on the floor and had to be practically dragged off the bus into the cold. So, pet owners, please wrap your pets up warmly when it's cold.....frostbite is no fun for anyone.