Here in the Southeast US we don't get much snow. So when we do, it completely disrupts things. It's a joke among notherners how everything shuts down for less than an inch of snow. Earlier this year the schools closed because of the threat of snow. When snow is expected everyone runs to the store to buy bread and milk, even though it will likely melt in a day or two and the chances of being snowed in are highly unlikely. Even the extreme snow in the Northeast is highly unusual, being the worst in more than a generation.
So what does all of this snow mean to a vet in this part of the country? First, I'm grateful that I don't work on farm animals, and I don't have to go out in this stuff. As much as I love snow and winter, I'm glad for the controlled climate of being indoors. But for a small animal vet is can make a bit of chaos.
Friday we received several inches of snow, which shut down much of the area. Yesterday morning when I went into work, several of my staff couldn't get out of their neighborhoods because of ice, leaving me short-handed. However, that wasn't necessarily bad, because the morning was a wash-out as people canceled their appointments left and right. I had expected that, but wasn't happy because it hurts business. Then the afternoon came and a bit of craziness ensued. People continued to cancel or not show up. At the same time, many people came in without appointments. So I really had no idea what to expect from moment to moment. I often say that a vet's daily schedule can be pretty unpredictable, but it's especially true when there is bad weather. So we saw more clients yesterday than I expected, though the day was still pretty bad from a business perspective.
If anything is good about this, it's that my kids got to see and play in the snow. They're young enough that they don't remember seeing a real snowfall, and have been dying have some, so I was glad for them. Unfortunately, I had to work for much of it, and it melted quickly.
Tomorrow we're supposed to get more snow and wintry weather. Time to prepare for another odd day.
