THE AFTERMATH… (after the big NYC "snow storm")

"A lot of people like the snow. I find it to be unnecessary freezing water." -- Carl Reiner

The Natural Beauty Of Snow

Snow can make so many things look so beautiful.., almost magical. The way that it hangs on the trees, or sits on a roof… Parents out with their kids, pulling them a sled, the beloved snowball fight.., and even the occasional "whacko" on cross-country skis making his way down 5th ave… NYC can look and feel like a whole different place.., something right out of a fairytale.

(right out of a fairytale…)

(enjoying the ride…)

(gotta have a snowball fight…)

(there's always one…)

But after just a few hours it becomes one big mess… Snow plows ramble down the street, with the sound of steel scraping the pavement, pushing all the snow onto parked cars and piling it high on every corner.., to left there to freeze into giant blocks of solid ice.

The beautiful pure white snow that just existed is reduced nasty brown freezing cold sludge -- nothing magical about that… Running daily errands becomes a project of great effort instead of an unconscious habit… Scaling frozen piles of ice, stepping in freezing cold puddles and ducking out of the way of people yielding shovels.

(get those shovels ready…)

(poor guy…)

(NY's Bravest getting the job done…)

I like a good snow storm, just as much as anybody… But in the middle of March, it's just a pain in the butt. Mother nature teased us with a stint of beautiful warm days in February, signaling spring was on it's way… Cafe's put out their outdoor sitting.., and people swarmed the streets, enjoying a very temperate end to winter… Only to be smacked in the face with a nasty cold spell of temperature hovering just above the single digits.., and a late blast of snow nobody expected.., or has welcomed.

Digging Out

There are very real dangers that all NY'ers need to be aware of after a snow storm… The aftermath can hazardous to your health, especially the very next day, as people try to dig-out and cope with the cold and mess… Emergency rooms see an uptick in heart attacks -- shoveling all that snow, that has now turned to solid ice can be quite the workout.., resulting in a sudden pain in your chest and a trip to the hospital. It's not that NY'ers are out of shape.., but the cold weather increase the chance of that heart giving out… So remember, use those legs to do most of the heavy lifting, it will take some of the strain of your upper body…

(about to take a fall…)

Then there are all the people slipping and falling all over the place…Just going out for coffee this morning I had to catch and carry a 70+ year old woman from falling into moving traffic on 9th ave.., and carry her safely across the street. And another woman pushing a stroller through this mess, was having trouble navigating a huge pile of snow with another child holding onto her coattails. After picking up the stroller and carrying it over the mountain of snow, just as the woman tried to follow with her child -- she hit the pavement, but still ever so grateful I made sure her infant and child made it safely over the top.

The amount of strains, sprains, bronzes and even broken bones are a very real thing the day after a NYC snow storm -- subway steps are particularly bad. There are a whole host of unfortunate health related issues, that put people at risk -- the elderly that rely oxygen being delivered are often left without… Pharmacies close early without any warning, leaving people with their medication. And emergency rooms are packed!

Enjoying The Peace

While most of us can enjoy the peace.., and fun activities the snow has to offer -- there are many dangers that come the following day… So hopefully, if you experienced that "blizzard" yesterday in the East, you had some good fun… Just remember to be careful today and the days to come.., keep your eyes open for flying shovels and hidden ice.., and pay some neighbors kid to do the shoveling!


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