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Re: spring in the north

To: miker15@juno.com (MICHAEL J ROBSON)
Subject: Re: spring in the north
From: mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca (John McEwen)
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 1997 10:26:20 -0500
>Notwithstanding other problems . . . . 60 degrees today, top down and
>fifth day out of six Ive used the 72 -  cant be ALL bad!!
>
>mike robson
>69 roadster
>70 BGT
>72 roadster

Now Mike, if you were really in the North we could accept that statement
-:.  However, leaving here in the Great White North (same latitude as
Moscow) the thought of top down is just a memory.  We have had quite mild
weather this month with temperatures reaching as much as 8 C.  The downside
is that the streets are rivers of chemical stew designed to render LBC
steel into lace.  We still have all of the snow which has fallen since
November (38cm).  When I feel the urge for summer I roll down the window of
my rusting '78 Suburban 4X4 and go play in the snow mountains on the
streets.

One of the truly amazing sights here in the GWN are the snow piles.  As the
city removes snow from the streets it is stockpiled in about 6 enormous
mounds located in various strategic places.  These mounds are similar to
gravel stockpiles and cover the equivalent of 1 or 2 square city blocks.
They are maintained and operated by men operating crawler tractors.  Snow
is delivered by dump trucks which drive up the road maintained on the snow
piles so that they can dump the snow at increasingly higer levels.  Piles
can reach heights of 50 - 70 feet.  When summer returns, the snow melts and
the gravel and sand mixed with it is removed and stockpiled for next
winter.  Most piles are gone by August.

Spring should be exciting this year.  My street has a build-up of about a
foot of hard-packed snow.  The Suburban is going to be really handy towing
my wife's and daughter's cars in and out of the neighborhood.  Then there's
my neighbors.  Maybe I could make a few dollars towards paint for my
Vanguard.  Oh well, lots of time yet.  This snow won't be gone completely
until May - with luck.

John McEwen

Edmonton, Alberta
The largest northerly city on the continent.



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