Frozen alleyway

I have to admit to a general feeling of insecurity since Sunday's fall. While the main routes remain clear, the problem persists of getting from my place to the more travelled roads. The compacted snow and ice stubbornly linger on, with no sign of any change.

Once I finally make it down to the local shop there's the inevitable exchange along the lines of:

"Can you remember anything ike this before?"
"No. One of the old-timers was in yesterday and he says there's been nothing like it since 1947"
"Didn't we have a bad spell in 1982?"
"I don't know. I certainly never remember anything like this before - I mean, it's almost two weeks without any sign of a thaw."

Then it's time to brace yourself and take tiny little steps back home again, keeping the eyes peeled all the way and hoping against hope not to come a cropper again. The relief to reach the hall door in one piece is plapable.