Liquid Assets

~Well, I wanted snow. All things come to he who waits:

^ A snowstorm hit the area this morning and lasted for a few hours, giving us an inch or so of snow. The temperature remains above freezing, so it's temporary and is currently devolving back to sleet.

On a brighter note, the snowfall gave me an excellent opportunity to take a picture of these:

^ That's right, this is a picture of the legendary road sprinklers! Powered by volcanically heated water from the underworld, constructed with the aid of The Infernal Contraption, and spewing lukewarm water all over the convex streets, they keep the roads free of ice.

The proper Japanese name of these devices is "shôsetsu paipu". The city recently published a guide to winter driving which advises drivers not to splash over the water spraying out of the pipes. That's easier said than done, because some of them are malfunctioning and are blasting water far higher than those around them. They're veritable geysers that intermittently sputter on and off like Old (un)Faithful.

Avoiding them is a challenge, especially when you're riding a bicycle. Yes, yes, I know it's dumb to ride a bike in the snow, but I was running late. Or rather, riding late...arrgh, you know what I mean!

Here are some other winter road hazards:

• "Suberimasu" -- Pavement is slippery.
  

• "Semakunarimasu" -- Roads become narrower.
  

• "Mienakunarimasu" -- You cannot see well.
  

It's at times like this when I'm glad I don't have a car in Japan. Between the winter conditions, the lack of parking, and the less-than-stellar capabilities of Japanese drivers, driving is much like a high-speed game of pachinko. ~Oyasumi.