Finding my way around snow obstacles

After I wrote my blog post yesterday about icy sidewalks, someone asked me about how I found my way around snow obstacles.  How I figured out what they were and got around them.  Well, it is similar to other random obstacles in my path of travel.  The garbage can, the bike, the car parked across the sidewalk, the sandwich board, the shopping cart, etc.  I never know when I am about to come upon one of these things.  If I am using a white cane, I have to touch it, figure out what it is, and think about how to get around it.  With my guide dog, if there is room, she will usually take me around these things.  If not, she has to stop and show them to me.  Then, together we figure out our strategy.  Snow is similar.  It has fallen.  It has been shoveled or not.  It is in our path of travel.  Often there are large banks at corners or at the end of driveways.  Snow is tricky though.  Some snow is soft enough that we can just plough through it.  Some is hard and boulder like so you either have to climb over or get around it.  It can make for some mountaineering adventures for sure.  More winter travel adventures tomorrow.

Climbing over snow.

As I wrote yesterday, it was not a good day for drivers. It was quite lovely going for a walk with my guide dog though. Until we got to one intersection. There was a snow bank at the corner created from ploughing the street probably. tulia was unsure. After all, we would have to climb over it to cross the street and a snowbank looks like a barrier in your path. We couldn't get around it without going out into traffic. We haven't had much snow this winter so she stopped and looked at it. I encouraged forward. We did climb it and corss the street. A man had been watching us. He was crossing the street too. When we got across he started to tell me what street I was on. He didn't know. I did so I told him. We walked another block. He was still following us. When we got to the next corner, he again started to tell me where we were. He didn't know the street names. I did so I told them to him again. It happened a third time. And a fourth. And then, we lost him or he turned or we did. He was kind and friendly and I think trying to help and maybe I helped him with street names. The nicely falling snow was beautiful. It is freezing today though it is sunny. Dog boots and dog coat day for sure.