Снег идёт в Вашингтоне!
The first snowflakes of the season are falling! My Russian friend arrived from Moscow on Sunday and since then cold, icy and snowy weather. It's great! Today I awoke to notification that my office and the Federal government are closed due to inclement weather. I looked out my window and saw some snowflakes but the roads are completely clear. This is Washington, DC! I'm a good girl and decided to go to the office anyway and captured this scene on the way with my iPhone. Plows on the road, but nothing to scrape. Danger - they might ruin our beautiful asphalt in the process!
The Russian is completely amazed at the closures. In my area, there's immediate panic in any type of snow because it's rare here and people don't know how to drive in such conditions. In order to avoid accidents and road back-ups, the Feds let us stay home. :) People from Minnesota and New England States like Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, where large snowfalls are common, think we are crazy. How did I know work was closed?
We receive instant notification via text message and also a telephone call with a voice mail recording informing of the closure. I explained before that in America everything is done with a lot of detail. Signs everywhere, long explanations about potential dangers on roads, construction sites, amusement park rides, high tides at the ocean... I haven't noticed so many signs or warnings in any other country. The same is true in business relations. Everything explained in detail so there's no confusion.
You can even track the location of snow plows in the area in which I live. Simply go to this site, and look at the interactive map. Your mind will be put at ease when you learn the plow is on its way to save the day!
Can you imagine such nonsense in Russia? Businesses, schools and work closed over a few snowflakes? Your country would be shut down for the entire winter! If Putin really wants to conquer Washington, DC there's a simple plan. Gather huge amounts of snow from Moscow, ship it here, and dump it on the streets of DC. The entire city will be paralyzed and the Russians will immediately capture the White House and rule the city. :))
On an unrelated note, many thanks to the loyal readers who nominated me for the "Top 100 Interesting Blogs in 2013." I made the final list, but it's necessary to place your final vote before 25 December 2013. You can vote here. Nominees are in alphabetical order, so I'm easy to find. If you enjoy the content of my blog, please take a second to vote.
Tomorrow we're off to Tennessee! Soon, interesting stories from this State.