The first snowfall.
Wow! We are living in a winter wonderland. This past weekend, we got 12-14 inches of fresh powder in the city streets of Portland, ME.
After a quick trip to Miami, FL for a Friday wedding, I hurried back to our new [temporary] home just in time for the first snowfall of the season. After locking herself out of the house, Taylor quickly learned how to break in and made her way to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
We spent the bulk of Saturday buying groceries and visiting local shops around our place. I’m continually surprised and impressed by how friendly the locals are. One such local we met in our exploration, Emily, had a ton of recommendations for us. Among these, we learned that Wednesday nights offer free pinball games at Arcadia, and the Art Museum is free after 4 PM on Fridays.
At this point, we have about $600 in groceries (Trader Joe’s is not a cost-effective solution). So, if we do get snowed in, we should be fine for at least Saturday night!
Fast forward to Monday, we’ve learned many interesting facts about snow and city life:
The rain-to-snow conversion ratio is actually 1 inch: 1 foot. My entire adult life, I’ve assumed it was a 1:1 ratio… WOW!
That premium we’re paying for a parking garage is totally worth it. We didn’t have to dig our car out of the snow at 9 PM on Sunday night like most of our surrounding neighbors seemed to be doing.
The city of Portland, ME has snow clearing down to a science. Plows were out for most of Sunday, basically doing circles around our block. Almost all of our surrounding sidewalks were cleared by midday Monday. The park near our house is absolutely a snow bowl; Kleo won’t get far 🙂.
Dog paws collect snow and their body heat melts this. If your dogger stops moving for too long, the melted snow can refreeze and cause problems. Experts recommend:
Take shorter walks
Don’t stop for too long
Be very careful in temperatures below 20 degrees
Dress your dog appropriately
Use paw wax to improve paw longevity and prevent ice from sticking to paws
So far, we are having a blast here in Portland, ME. Taylor keeps telling me she thinks she’s actually made for the winter and I’m enjoying the cold and snow as well. Obviously, we are very fortunate to have a good place to stay and the ability to walk to get most of what we need. I’m sure we have many more lessons to learn but we’re off to a great start.
Cheers!
Ross
