Our Precious Weather

Just thought I'd put out a few more weather shots. I took these an hour ago. It is snowing but not really very windy, so it is really very pleasant outside. I was out with gloves or a jacket for quite a little while, taking thirty or forty shots of the weather, the horses and dogs.

It gives you an idea of where the snow is all going in the shot of the Sand Cove Road sign. It certainly hasn't blown away as you'd expect for the Magdalen Islands. If this keep up, we'll be driving through tunnels in Grande-Entree, by March.


Now you know, this is just about all of Old Harry. In the far distance, you can't see where we call "Out The Road", but it is there. What these pictures are of is "Over The Road". That is how the generations past referred to Old Harry. We are in Sand Cove, which is a "suburb" of Old Harry. That is a chuckle, really, but there you go. How else can Old Harry be explained.

Grosse Islers used to fondly call people from Old Harry, "Old Harry Sand Fleas" and those from Old Harry would justly return that it was better than being a "Grosse Isle Picker!" This was a generation or two ago. Now we tend to be more formally and politically correct. "Pickers and Sand Fleas" are not heard of anymore. Our quaintness is gone.

The Weather

Sunrise over Saint Peters By-The-Sea Church at Old Harry, this morning at 8:00 am.

Snow!

Once again, it snow the whole day, but it was mostly a light snowfall. It has left many people stranded in their driveways and it will be several days before things get back to normal.

Second Storm of the Year

• Feels Like: -16
• Wind: N 69km/h
• Wind gusts: 81km/h
• Sunrise: 7:54
• Sunset: 16:27

• Relative Humidity: 86%
• Pressure: 99.13 kPa
• Visibility: 0.2 km
• Ceiling: 0 ft

The weather outside is horrible. It has been storming, snow and blowing snow, the entire day. Even the horses refused to go out. The temperature outside the airport is -5C, but it is probably warmer here in Old Harry, since we're more sheltered with forest.

I've wrote a whole story on the storm of '82 on the Gimme A Dream Site that is quite interesting because I rambled off topic in several areas, talking about disasters and house fires and traffic jams in Grande-Entree, lol! Dare you to take a look!

For the entire Weather forecast for the Islands see the Weather Network.

New Year's Eve

December 31st, on the Magdalen Islands is normally a place where party's happen. Tonight may be different. It has been snowing, storming all day and here at &21 pm the storm has not abates at all. The weather forecast for the day has been correct and tonight it says the

Temperature is -2C and there is light snow.

• Feels Like: -10
• Wind: NE 41km/h
• Wind gusts: 52km/h
• Sunrise: 7:54
• Sunset: 16:25

• Relative Humidity: 100%
• Pressure: 99.39 kPa
• Visibility: 2.8 km
• Ceiling: 600 ft

In truth it must be heavier than light snow because the horses are covered with about six inches on their backs and the plow is on the road full time. Still the parties will go on and everyone will have a good time. Red Nose Operation (Operation Nez Rouge) will once again be busy making certain that everyone gets home safely after the partying. Islanders are so lucky to have this non-profit organization in our midst. Island volunteer participants drive inebriated party goers and their vehicles home safely after the party is over.

An Explanation: Opération Nez rouge (literally, "Operation Red Nose"), founded in 1984, is an escorting service offered in Quebec and several francophone countries under several names as well as in the English-speaking parts of Canada under the name Operation Red Nose during the Christmas holiday season, although the name sounds somewhat odd to English-speakers' ears.

Operation Nez Rouge was started in Quebec City by Jean-Marie De Koninck, who had two goals. He wanted to finance the Laval University's swim team and he wanted to do something to fight driving under the influence. He knew that drivers leaving bars refused taxis to bring them home when intoxicated, not because of the cost, but because they wanted to have their own cars the next day. Thus came the idea to simply offer an escorting service.

The service was used millions of times between 1984 and 2007.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

Old Man Winter Arrives on the Islands

On December 4th, winter hit the Islands with a vengeance. The snow, even after the storm passed, didn’t stop. It continued until the next week when a winter storm coming in from the west where it had dumped three feet of the white fluffy flakes, hit the islands a second time. The hydro power, flickered off many times during the day and night, only to come back on in surges, destroying many pieces of electrical equipment in the homes of many islanders.

Despite the difficult twenty-four hours with gale winds, all remained calm and serene. The roads were treacherous and many vehicles went out of control but there were no accidents on the east end of the islands. Ephriam Chevarie, the federal plow driver, kept the snow at bay by continuously driving from one end of his route to other and back. However, even for all his work, the snow still hugged the pavement in a thin, icy glaze, that made motorists drive with extreme caution.

Soon the children were out with their toboggans and sleds and adults had their ski-doos and all terrain vehicles on the hills and roads, having fun, searching for that perfect Christmas tree. In the days to follow it wasn’t unexpected to see, trees tied to the tops of cars while hauling a trailer loaded down with an ATV.