Nice to see the chatter here!
I was much too busy this weekend painting in my living room to check in here, and I am delighted with how many posts have appeared in the meantime.
The past few days have been perfect winter weather (-12 C ) and I loved every minute of it! We took the spark (kick sled) into the village center a couple of times for errands, and the texture of the snow on the roads was perfect! Nice glide for the sled runners, but not at all slippery under feet. The 15 minute walk to the bus stop can be done in nine on the spark, and riding down the hill padt the church is fast and fun! How I wish we could have more than a few days in a row of such weather!
Alas, while the spark ride to the bus stop this morning was perfect, as I worked the weather warmed up, and it rained. By 14:15 when I left the office it was icy. Really icy. Like, they had gravelled the walk ways, and it was still icy. I opted to walk over to the bus stop by the hospital, despite the treacherous walking conditions and longer walk, because the lady couple of times I caught the bus I went to the stop closest to my office, then stared at the app showing the bus sitting at the hospital bus stop, not moving, for ten minutes after it should have picked me up. This was worth it, as I could spend that time getting comfortable and setting up my computer to work for the trip home. I think I will try to make a habit of this.
The trip from the bus stop home took as long as walking wwithout the spark would have, as I had to just walk for most of it. The roads were so icy they'd been sanded, which meant the spark couldn't glide if I stood on the rails, but there was no problem pushing it. Occassionally I would come to a bit without sand, buthen I couldn't glide forward on the spark because any attempt to kick just resulted in my foot slipping across the damp ice surface, and no forward momentum happened. Luckily, with the spark handles to hold on to I could walk safely across the slippery bits, and it is wonderful to have the backpack and computer on the seat and not my back. I did get to ride down the hill by the church, but the sand did make it slower than yesterday--so slow I actually needed to kick to keep going.
The prediction is for above freezing temperatures all week, getting all the wsy to +8 C on Thursday. If thst happens it is likely that I will need to go back to carrying my backpack, as there will be no snow or ice left on the road for the spark blades to glide along.
I am grateful that we had a couple weeks of decent winter weather, but oh I wish it could have bern a couple of months!
I am really glad we took time to shovel the driveway to the garage and got Keldor’s car out of there yesterday. There is no way he would have been able to back up that hill today! (His car has "all weather tires, not studded tires, and so doesn't have the same traction as a studded tire would).
Tomorrow morning I will ride with Keldor part way towards Skellefteå and catch the bus at one of the highway bus stops, rather than trying to walk on the ice. Then, for my last two hours of work I will buss from Umeå to Skellefteå so we can help a friend move house.
The past few days have been perfect winter weather (-12 C ) and I loved every minute of it! We took the spark (kick sled) into the village center a couple of times for errands, and the texture of the snow on the roads was perfect! Nice glide for the sled runners, but not at all slippery under feet. The 15 minute walk to the bus stop can be done in nine on the spark, and riding down the hill padt the church is fast and fun! How I wish we could have more than a few days in a row of such weather!
Alas, while the spark ride to the bus stop this morning was perfect, as I worked the weather warmed up, and it rained. By 14:15 when I left the office it was icy. Really icy. Like, they had gravelled the walk ways, and it was still icy. I opted to walk over to the bus stop by the hospital, despite the treacherous walking conditions and longer walk, because the lady couple of times I caught the bus I went to the stop closest to my office, then stared at the app showing the bus sitting at the hospital bus stop, not moving, for ten minutes after it should have picked me up. This was worth it, as I could spend that time getting comfortable and setting up my computer to work for the trip home. I think I will try to make a habit of this.
The trip from the bus stop home took as long as walking wwithout the spark would have, as I had to just walk for most of it. The roads were so icy they'd been sanded, which meant the spark couldn't glide if I stood on the rails, but there was no problem pushing it. Occassionally I would come to a bit without sand, buthen I couldn't glide forward on the spark because any attempt to kick just resulted in my foot slipping across the damp ice surface, and no forward momentum happened. Luckily, with the spark handles to hold on to I could walk safely across the slippery bits, and it is wonderful to have the backpack and computer on the seat and not my back. I did get to ride down the hill by the church, but the sand did make it slower than yesterday--so slow I actually needed to kick to keep going.
The prediction is for above freezing temperatures all week, getting all the wsy to +8 C on Thursday. If thst happens it is likely that I will need to go back to carrying my backpack, as there will be no snow or ice left on the road for the spark blades to glide along.
I am grateful that we had a couple weeks of decent winter weather, but oh I wish it could have bern a couple of months!
I am really glad we took time to shovel the driveway to the garage and got Keldor’s car out of there yesterday. There is no way he would have been able to back up that hill today! (His car has "all weather tires, not studded tires, and so doesn't have the same traction as a studded tire would).
Tomorrow morning I will ride with Keldor part way towards Skellefteå and catch the bus at one of the highway bus stops, rather than trying to walk on the ice. Then, for my last two hours of work I will buss from Umeå to Skellefteå so we can help a friend move house.