Chalk Lines

Snow fell overnight in Detroit Sunday evening into Monday morning, our first measurable snowfall of the season.  Oh joy, oh rapture. I do hope you heard that in the sarcastic voice intended.

Around 7 AM I set out to clear the steps and the cars. There was nothing to shovel from the concrete walks but the wooden steps were cold enough for the little white flakes to stay where they fell. The same thing with the metal cars. Light, fluffy snow had to be brushed from them.

Three or so hours later as I returned home from a couple local trips, I saw exactly where our three vehicles had been. The snow lines from the brushing appeared just like police chalk lines around a murder victim.

I almost took photos of the car outlines like a police photographer might. I could have been a detective saying, "Yes. Ma'am, that's right where we found your husband. Pretty big guy, eh?" Only a detective wouldn't actually say that. At least, he wouldn't have offered an opinion on the husband's girth to his grieving widow. I don't think so anyway.

Road Worthy

I have always liked how Canadians, or at least those Canadians in Ontario, often call their roads 'lines'. There's Huron Line, Michigan Line  (an appeal to their nearby friends, maybe?) and my personal favorite, Chalk Line. Yes, it exists.

But the U.S. has its share of interestingly named byways. In southern Indiana yesterday I saw Sample Road. What, if we like the sample we can get an entire road?

Then there was Washboard Road. I had no desire to check it out because, you know, a washboard road is stereotypically so rutted and pitted (like an old fashioned washboard, get it?) that going ten miles per hour rattles your teeth so bad it loosens your fillings. Perhaps it was just truth in advertising though.

Uh, um, that's all I got today. Thanks for reading!

Canadian Lines

Street, avenue, road, highway, bypass, lane, boulevard. These are all common addendums to our various roadways. Main Street, Grand Boulevard, the Alaska Highway; you get it. In Canada, they've improved on this. They also have concessions and, my personal favorite, lines. For example, when you cross into Windsor, Ontario via the Ambassador Bridge out of Detroit, you land on Huron Church Road which becomes in a few miles, Huron Line.
I've seen many of those. At different places in Ontario you have the Michigan Line, the Wallace Line, the Renaud Line and so forth. But my favorite is just before you arrive at the little town of Forest, Ontario. They have, I am not making this up, the Chalk Line.
Here I thought that was only for detective stories.