A Warmer Spell

It’s a real nuisance when in the middle of winter, a warm spell occurs.  Plus 1 or 2 above freezing leads to a small melt. The roads may be cleared of snow completely, but the walking tracks, and footpaths with compacted snow melt slightly and then refreeze solid and very slippery. 

Boots with studs become a necessity, especially when managing pulling dogs. Four legs are better than two in the staying upright stakes and fluff covered paws also maintain a surprising amount of traction.

The most dangerous situation for upright humans, is fresh powder snow on top of these super slippery surfaces. Snow can be quite grippy particularly in very cold conditions and the unwary will venture out in boots without studs that are designed for the real cold. It’s then easy to find yourself falling because the ice can not be seen beneath the snow. This happened to me a couple of days ago. One moment walking along, the next on my back feeling winded. Some protection from all the bulky clothes, but the fall caused internal trauma, and we had to spend several hours in the local hospital’s emergency department.

I must remember to be more careful because we still have at least three months of winter remaining here in Southern Finland.