The day after

What began early yesterday afternoon with some scattered flurries blew on into the night until at least 30 more centimetres of snow fell on snowbanks already far taller than the average ninth grader. When I was out for a walk last night around 8, the sky was filled with postage stamp-sized flakes, the streets were deserted, and all of the movies I wanted to rent (Little Children, The Bubble, Into the Wild) had already been snagged.

This morning, the streets remained empty and eerily quiet. It was like waking up to a snowy armageddon. The snowbanks are piled high and people are just starting to dig themselves out.

This was the scene in my backyard, where my car was all but buried by the snow.



















And here's the same scene after a couple of hours digging.



















I suppose one benefit of the storm, combined with daylight savings time, is how easy it was to score a table at The Wild Oat (817 Bank Street). As my friends this morning all agreed, The Wild Oat is amongst the closest eateries in Ottawa get to something you'd find along Vancouver's Commercial Drive. It serves up organic, vegetarian goodness with a delicious bakery attached, so you can take something home when you're done. If you go, try the crepes, but make sure to leave room for a rosemary and goat cheese croissant.