Home Again

Maybe this blog should be called "snow fixation", or something. As we winged our way home from Chiba this morning, I looked out the window at the increasingly large patches of white below with increasing dread. Last week the Tokyo area was "snowed in" - 9 cm (3 1/2 inches); no kidding. I saw a guy across from where we were staying clearing snow with a BROOM. Sheesh.
Our associate John Orme was in Ajigasawa clearing snow for us for the 2 weeks we were away, so we had only a bit of tidying up to do when I got home- 2 hours. And we have to clear the rooves next week, or gamble on light snowfall for the next 2 months,or have faith in our 2 buildings to hold up more snow than I have seen since we built them 10 years ago.
Global warming, no doubt. Well, spring is coming. I love spring, and you can't have a meaningful spring without a meaningful winter, so this spring should be REALLY great. Unfortunately, we will be in Canada then. Presumably Canada will have spring this year, too, but having suffered the surplus all winter, I'd like to be here just to see it melt. Meanwhile we spend hours shifting all this white stuff that is just going to go away by itself eventually.