Snow, Slush and Ice

It was brought to my attention that I never mentioned that I got a bike. It was about two months ago that Skeletor and I were brought together and it has been a wonderful relationship ever since. But like every good relationship it has its ups and its downs. The latest down has been due to the lovely autumn weather we have been having recently. Like autumn back home, the weather has a really hard time making up its mind. Here it alternates between overcast and rainy, and snowy and cold with nice icy bits in between.

It's hard to decide which is the most difficult. The overcast rainy days where you don't see the sun are the ones where you definitely want to take your Vitamin D. I would never have guess what a difference it makes! On the days where I forget to take it, I am sleepy by about 3 in the afternoon as the sun is setting and it is definitely harder to wake up the next morning as well. So the sun kind of makes up for how cold it gets on the cold clear days.

In terms of biking though, these days each pose their own challenges. Rain I can handle. As a Vancouver girl it's what I know best, but cycling in snow and ice is another story. I was pretty nervous about even attempting to ride my bike in snow. I should mention that Skeletor is a lovely streamline racing bike with very thin tires that have no tread. Excellent for racing along to class in the summer, less so for navigating snow filled roads. So the first day I woke up and it was snowing outside. I left early to give myself enough time and went very slowly to class. And mission accomplished! I made it to school in one piece, faster than walking and didn't fall off my bike, although there were a few narrow misses. The second day I was filled with a little more confidence and sped off to catch up with a friend I saw leaving. About two seconds on the bike and the snow makes my back tire twist out of my control making me fall. Thankfully no one was around, as my friend was long gone at this point, so my dignity remained more or less uninjured like myself.

I haven't fallen since then, but I have been more careful in my riding style. Here are some of the tips I have picked up on when cycling in the snow or ice:
1. If you get stuck in a rut (like when driving a car), just go with it. If you try to steer out, you'll just fall.
2. Stay upright when you turn and try to just turn using the handles, not your whole body )a shame because I had just gotten used to turning with my whole body on my new bike).
3. If your back tire starts to fishtail (which happens every time you go through uneven snow or slush) don't steer or brake and just go with it til you have control again.
4. Leave a lot of space between yourself and others because they will fall and you will crash into them.
5. Pump your brakes and start braking way before you need to stop.
6. Wear a helmet and when you inevitably fall try to go limp, so you don't actually get hurt.

Now that you've had your unasked for advice for the day, the only other news that I have is that I am going hunting this weekend for rabbits. I have never been hunting before let alone held a gun, but I have been wanting to get to know Finnish culture more than what is offered at the bar or in my classes, so my friend is taking me hunting near Kuopio. I also kind of feel that as a meat eater, I need to better understand what is involved in the process of killing an animal for this purpose (even though most of our meat is obviously not hunted, but farmed). So I will have to let you all know how my first hunting experience goes. Have a nice weekend!