In Stratford the snow is deeper than ever, and it’s quite cold. I stayed home and paid bills, reconciled the chequing and credit accounts, and had a fruitful phone conversation with the realtor in Ottawa . Then I took a hot bath, reading the Spectator while I wallowed in the steam and bubbles.
Getting into and out of the bathtub is much easier at 60.5 kilos than it was at 79.8 kilos, although my wonky ankles still don’t allow me to crouch or squat properly. It’s not a manoeuvre I would ever willingly perform for an audience.
My great-niece Faith and her grandparents — SIL Mary and her husband Terrance — were supposed to come to Stratford to visit last Tuesday. Mary and Terrance planned to drive from their home in Chatham to London, where they were to meet Faith and travel the rest of the way to Stratford in her car. I did not like the weather forecast because the radar map showed a massive storm system inbound from the west, and I called Mary at breakfast time to warn her. The sun was shining brightly in Chatham, so they decided to make the trip anyway.
All went well until they turned north off Highway 401 heading into London. Within about 5 km they entered the southern edge of that storm system and found themselves in lashing snow. When they reached Faith’s apartment, they called to say that discretion is the better part of valour and maybe we should try again in April.
Meanwhile, the storm system had settled across Highway 7, the main road between London and Stratford. About half an hour after Mary and Terrance decided to have lunch with Faith in London and then go home, a massive white-out enveloped a column of traffic entering a roundabout about 15 km southwest of Stratford. One vehicle skidded and rolled, while six more piled up behind the wreck. The cops closed the highway and issued a bulletin asking everyone to stay home, for God’s sake.
If they had not decided to abort their trip, Faith and her grandparents would probably have reached the collision site within about five minutes of the first impact.