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The
Squamidian Report – Jan. 6 / 24
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Of This And Past Issues Issue
#1128 Russ Nova Scotia Sus Me
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From Russ
Snow
Hello loyal Squamidians! Hope you have a happy, safe, and prosperous new year. I'd like to talk about 'snow'...did you get any over the holidays? Most of Southern Ontario got little or none. I won't mention it here, but some trees are 'budding', while Spring flowers are poking their tender little heads up......some, I'm told are in bloom!!
Here in Point Clark we never got any snow over Christmas, and only a 'skiff' on New Year's Day. Being fully retired, and somewhat retarded I watch the Weather Network constantly to see if it's bike-riding weather. (or I could simply look out a window, which is more accurate!) Speaking of accurate, those pretty girls and handsome men who attempt to 'entertain us' with their dancing about in front of the screen try hard to be noticed, and even harder to be accurate. Ever notice the terminology they use in describing weather conditions? There is an 'official' Glossary of terms available from the Weather Network, and last Winter I heard them say grople when describing miniature hailstones. I'm not sure of the spelling, it sounded like g r o p l e (not in my Dictionary)
When they hit you in the face, they 'sting'....are they called "snow grains", or "snow pellets" (or "grople"?) You may well say, "Who cares? I just want to get away from them......only a nut would stop to examine them!" Well, the "Weather Glossary" defines "snow grains" as "Minute, white and opaque grains of ice. When they hit hard ground, they do not bounce or shatter. They usually fall in very small quantities, and never in the form of a shower". On the other hand, the glossary defines "Snow pellets as brittle, and easily crushed, when they fall on hard ground, they bounce and often break up. They always occur in showers, often accompanied by snowflakes or rain drops, when the surface temperature is around zero Celsius".
I searched the Glossary twice - and it's huge! grople was not to be found! I bounced grople off a former school teacher's face......she never heard of it either.
He's the husband of my niece, my neighbour at the cottage, the executor of my Will, and a computer Whizz! He found "graupel"!! It's called graupel snow, or graupel pellets, also soft hail, homing snow, and snow pellets.
"Graupel" forms fragile, soft ,oblong crystals and falls in place of typical snowfalls in winter situations, often in concert with ice pellets. Graupel is also fragile enough that it will typically fall apart when pressed on".
You would be interested in this, Doug: Graupel is what often causes unstable layers of snow in the mountains, resulting in avalanches! Do you get graupel in Squamish?
One of my New Year's resolutions is to listen for the word from The Weather Network all Winter....it bothers me like a burr in my diaper!!
Uncle Russ. ****
From Nova Scotia Sus
We had a great Christmas and a nice quiet New Years Eve. I was in bed by 9pm and that has never happened before. Usually I call my sister Michelle who lives in Alberta at 12 midnight our time and she celebrates with me the Nova Scotia New Year. I'm not staying up until 3am to celebrate her New Years. You don't hear much about parties celebrating New Years around here. Years ago us hair stylists would be worked off our feet getting everyone beautiful for the New Years Eve parties. This year I took 2 weeks off and no one missed me.
We had a big ice rain and snow storm. Then the sun came out and all the trees glistened beautifully.
All the decorations are put away and the tree is laying outside the door. It all went by quickly. Time does fly by. Wishing everyone all the best in the new year!
Sus **** From Me
Hey There….
As in many parts of the country, the west coast has it’s fair share of those crazy polar bear New Years Day swim events, where the participants get themselves sufficiently psyched up enough to jump into the ocean or a lake or whatever. The very thought of doing such a thing makes me cold. Out here, on January 1st, the rains came to a temporary stop and the sun actually made a short appearance. So, to that end, I decided to get one of the motorcycles out and ride down to Porteau Cove where I’d meet up with a couple other riders who headed up from the city to watch the chilling event. I’ve never seen so many people at Porteau, it was standing room only as the mob of cold water dunkers did their thing and the spectators watched from the shore. There were so many cars there that many were parked illegally out on the side of the highway. Luckily for us, we were on bikes and could therefore squeeze our way through the masses and park under a no-parking sign. There was a cold north wind blowing in off the Sound, and the overcast had again blocked the sun.
I had bundled up with long johns and had even put on my heated riding vest so I was nice and comfortable and the ride there and back was quite nice. It’s not all that often that I get to do a motorcycle ride on New Years Day so it was one for the books. Also my first ride as a 75 yr old, old fart so that’s one for the books. And face it, it’s important to keep people thinking I’m a crazy old man so don’t mess with me.
So, in case you can’t tell from, this picture, here I am in front of my Enfield (The Harley is not insured this time of year). If you look closely you can also see some of those silly swimmers in the background. Some of them had jumped in and jumped right back out, others had stayed in and swam around like it was fun or something.
 Here are my riding buddies who had ridden up from North Van. They tend to ride all year round unless it’s raining or snowing too hard or if the roads are slippery. They are pretty tough old farts and that is a compliment to them.
Doug ****
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