Ice and Darkness

Freezing rain is generally the most disastrous form of winter precipitation. Slick driving conditions, an extreme hazard to pedestrians, downed trees, it's all-round chaos. Toronto was hit hard with last weekend's ice storm, with thousands without power, exams cancelled and the like. It was at least one hell of a way to end the year, I suppose.

As the hours dwindled by, rain continued to pelt the frozen surfaces of Toronto, causing driving conditions to be less than preferable. Weather forecasts weren't optimistic, either.

As the night grew darker, streetlights grew brighter. Amidst the inherent danger and hazard of walking along slippery surfaces, you forget about it all and come to realize the sheer beauty that emerges. Sometimes we have to come to terms with what nature throws at us, step back a bit and admire it. It's all about perspective.

When the sun rose the next day, I couldn't help but step outside and just bask in what nature has done. What fascinates me is the organized chaotic nature of freezing rain and how it interacts with the various surfaces it impacts.

I'd have loved to roam around the city during this time of mass hysteria and manic. I could only imagine how beautiful certain parks were when the ice was freshly laid. 

Alas, as the sun set over Markham, the reality of freezing rain finally set in. I lost power at around 6 PM on Sunday, which was pretty fortunate, seeing as some homes were already void of electricity by Saturday night.

Alas, this was where having a natural gas stove truly shined. Grubbing on mom's fried rice in the dark, wouldn't have had it any other way. While the warmth of her cooking kept us warm, nothing would keep us heated for long as temperatures dipped subzero overnight.

Despite these circumstances, you can't help but admire the serenity of quiet darkness that surrounds you. 

The cold night's sleep was interrupted by various sessions of browsing on Reddit. Naturally, my 5s is not a candidate for excellent battery life, but fortunately my family came prepared for situations like these. 

My neighbourhood had electricity restored around 1 PM on Monday. What better way to celebrate, than with Top Gear? I am considered one of the more fortunate households, only losing power for approximately 19 hours. At the time of writing, there are some 30,000 homes still without power.

Stepped outside to assess the damage thus far. Trees generally don't hold well with extra weight, and it was just the start of it. The ice storm of 2013 - one hell of a way to end off the year.