windy cold snow

i know why people hated the prairie--i made 8 trips today from my house to work, about a 2 blocks away in snow from a whisper deep to over the top of my boots. some walks never cleared and those that were, were constantly filled in by blowing snow. not only was it cold, but it was hard walking for an old lady in the snow, especially on the gravel road. they just put a thick layer of new wet gravel on the road a few days before the snow. of course, the roads weren't plowed, but they were better to walk on than the sidewalks. the houses seem to attract deep snow on the sidewalks. the combination of snow and mushy gravel was like walking in powdery mud--not sucking your shoes down like mud, but you floated down into the mix like mud. a few years ago i started reading a book by Doris Lessing about living in a cold place, it was so realistic and depressing that i quit after the fifth chapter! Unfortunately there are no snow days at a boarding school. time for wrapping up in a blanket on the couch with kitty and reading a good book--one about warm places and warm hearts.