FIRST SNOW – CONTINUAL BLIZZARDS TILL MARCH NEXT YEAR

So this is what greeted me first thing this morning when I opened the front door on my way to the local super-market to stock up on warming Zurek and to buy my weekly ‘lucky’ Lotek ticket… True enough, it’s been as cold as cockles for the last two days or so, but it still came as a bit of a shock to see three or more inches covering of the crisp white stuff this morning… I mean, is it still not merely Autumn..? Apparently not, and there was clearly a hush and lack of joyful seasonal hoots in the air as adults and children alike shuffled along in silence, their chins held high against the blizzard in stoic recognition and resignation of a hot summer’s passing! This being my second winter in Poland, I now know from experience that this first fall of snow is more than likely just the beginning of one long snowstorm cemented in the calendar till mid March next year!

Just checked the thermometer on the window outside to see whether it’s warm enough for this stuff to melt – minus four it says! Ah well, time to dig out the winter woollies and the Soviet style army hat which was bought for me last year from the flee market in the old national stadium across the Wisła, turn up the central heating and pop on a pan of Zurek – Like the locals, absolutely no childish joy or thoughts of snowball fights or sledging here from me either – Roll on the Spring thaw is all I can think of right now.., and perhaps the unlikely event of six numbers turning up on the Lotek tonight!