Snow

White stuff falling from the sky seems to be a favorite theme of the northeast in winter. Today was no exception with a late February snow storm mucking up most of the day.

Driving in snow takes a lot of care. If you are not used to it you are apt to go too fast, to take turns too sharply and to not know how to pull out when you skid. The latest driver's ed instructions on this are to steer in the direction you want to go. Years ago it was to steer in the direction of the skid. Front wheel drive now being standard on almost all cars may have something to do with the change.

What amazed me, driving home from work this afternoon, was the number of trucks barreling down the New York State Thruway at near the posted speed limit. Granted, this was slow for them since they usually go at least ten to fifteen above but its still a bit much for me. They have an advantage in having much more mass so they tend to stay in motion in the direction they are going much better. Still given the number of overturned trailers I see every year (they seem to like the toll plaza I usually use in particular. Either side of them too; once on an overpass just after the tolls that has a particularly tight curve that should not be taken fast by anything much less a tractor trailer.)

The Japanese word for snow is 雪, Pronounced 'yuki.' 雪 が 降って います (Yuki ga futte imasu) is how you would say "It is snowing" in Japanese.