Winter is coming

With highs for the day in the low teens, one might consider us in full-out winter.  Not so. We have been told by the locals that, come January, we will relish a day with a high of 17 degrees.  Am I smiling?  No, I am not. We have had a couple of snow storms but not much more than a few inches.  With the cold temps, however, the snow doesn't melt.  The beautiful reservoir near us is frozen over, as is the river that runs through town. We spent a little time the other day taking some pictures of how the Quebecois prepare for winter's onslaught:

These green tarps are apparently placed on the grass to protect from the huge amounts of snow that will be dumped/pushed onto yards from the snow plows.  We suppose that they must really work because we have seen them everywhere.

These lovely plastic structures are erected early in November in anticipation of the snow.  Do they do this in the Northeastern parts of the U.S.?  I don't know.  While hardly attractive, one has to admit they are less expensive than a permanent garage, which isn't needed in the summer months.   And, shoveling one's driveway is eliminated. We have seen blocks of cement laid at the base to hold these in place during the frequent winds we have (Oh, so lovely to be outside at 2 degrees F with a stiff wind!).  The plastic at the entrances to the front doors supposedly cut down on wet junk getting into your home.  We have even see a few really serious residents connect their "garage" to a door covering, making it possible to walk from car to home without going into the snow. And here is a "double" garage:

These Quebecois are serious about being as comfortable as possible in the winter.  I guess they need to be since we have been told that winter lasts until sometime in April.