| description | Before the Islands autos left their
blocks to travel salted roads, and giant
snowplows prowled the highways,
winter travel meant sleighs, slews, and
pitches, and perilous but time-saving
journeys across icey bays and harbours.
Winter had a different vocabulary
then. There was top ice and double ice,
rotten and honey-combed ice. Folks
spoke of glib ice and ice with ridges, and
channel ice and bushed ice.
As roadways invariably drifted full,
new paths wandered over fields, following
the easiest-travelled snowy contours.
New roads were made, first
broken through fresh snow and then
packed firm and built up.
Increasing traffic created deepergrowing
dips known as pitches, lending
traffic a roller coaster effect. Where
sleighs became unbalanced and slid
sideways, slews developed. As the slews
became more treacherous, actual sleigh
upsets threatened.
Best, though, to let people who
remember tell it in their own words: |  |
