Olof took vacation last week and this, but unfortunately for him he’s spent more hours shoveling snow than resting, relaxing, or playing his new video games. After a week or more of already-significant snowfall, we got 28 inches of new snow yesterday, and probably another eight or ten inches today.

Lydia and I braved the roads and the crowds this afternoon and headed off to town for our monthly lunch and shopping spree, and while the roads were well-plowed and easy to drive on, visibility was greatly compromised by the ten-foot-high — oh, how I wish I were exaggerating — mountains of snow that graced every other corner. Downtown Skellefteå is hard enough to drive in in the best of circumstances, with nearly every corner a blind one, so you can be assured that my language wasn’t the cleanest you’ve ever heard as I navigated through the snowy streets today. The one saving grace was that most other drivers seemed to be paying good attention to the conditions, and for once there was a sense of caution and courtesy on the roads. Even so, I think it might be a while before I venture far from the house again.