We Made It Thru – Temporarily

Hey everybody!

Just a quick note for you today to let you know that we survived our “little” snow incident.    😉   

It took 2 days, but the roads are finally cleared – just in time for our newest Winter Storm Watch. Apparently the 7 – 10 inches we received around the area was not enough snow for one blast – we are now supposed to get 2 – 6 more inches by tomorrow night (depending on how the storm line shifts)!!

Allrighty then.

Nevermind that when the last blast moved into the area we had almost 40 accidents on a 5 mile long stretch of Highway in just a few hours! Almost 100 accidents in the surrounding area in just under 24 hours…. God Bless our Police/EMS/Fire Depts who were stuck out working all of those wrecks surrounding the Lake Area! Quite a few of our local farmers (God Bless them too) were out there diligently assisting the efforts with their tractors – pulling stuck snow plows out, rescuing stranded vehicles and plowing side streets and back roads as they were able. Apparently you could get around just fine – if you were “driving” a John Deere or a Massie/Ferguson!    😉   

By the Grace of God I was able to get thru all of it safely, and do my “day job” (at a whopping 20 mph – maximum).  It was a very long day.    🙂   

That was okay by me – since the main focus was to get thru the day unscathed and in one piece. The most un-nerving aspect of such a day is the moment that you realize there are weeds poking thru the snow in your driving path because the road is so buried/snow-covered that you can’t tell what is road and what is ditchline/field, and you are having to drive the area by “memory” of where the road/curves are supposed to be!

Ahhhhhhh….. driving in the Ozarks……    🙂   

YeeHaw!!

I think now would be a good time to go find the tire chains.

    🙂

Day 2

Well, I made it home yesterday. The storm system stalled a bit (Thank You God), and didn’t come in until around 6 pm – instead of the original time of 3 pm that they forecast. Most everyone in the area had made it home and hunkered down by then – except for a few of our teens who were headed to church when it hit.

Can you say Parental pins and needles Panick Attack?????

Luckily, my gaggle of kids (“adopted” and mine) quickly realized the worsening conditions, did an about-face and headed back home! Needless to say, I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when I was able to do my best Baseball Umpire impression and yell “SAFE!!!!” as my son slid sideways into the yard! It was all good – the large Snowplow Truck that was going to be my new “Lawn Ornament”, had made it out (and was merrily on his way) about 20 minutes prior.    😉   

So, believe it or not, I am off to go head out to work. YES – I have to work (drive) in this “crap”…. UGH!!

Let’s hope that even though I have not heard/seen a Plow Truck go by since 3 am (even though snow is still falling and we are at 6 inches and counting), that the roads are passable by 4-wheel drive. Thank God for trucks!!!

Hopefully Mr. Plowboy isn’t stuck again….. I really don’t want to have to pull him out!    😉   

Have a great/safe/warm day!

🙂

“It’s Baaaacccckkk!!!”

Time, yet again, to batten-down-the-hatches!

We are about to be the recipient of yet another Snow Storm “presant”!

UGH!!!

The last of the snow on the ground from our last “episode” just finally melted off yesterday!

Now, they are advising us that we will get between 5 – 9 inches in the next 24 hours starting around 3:00 pm today. Just in time for the evening commute home! The National Weather Service is advising everyone to make “alternate” travel plans for tonight and tomorrow, as they foresee most roads being impassable in a very short period of time, and snow plows unable to run/keep up!

Those of us who must drive for hours for our “Day Jobs” are NOT thrilled with the thought of what we are about to have to deal with.

No – I do not drive for hours “to” and “from” my day job – driving for hours IS my day job! Approximately 4 + hours on “good” days, and up to 7 + hours on the “bad” weather/road condition days. The drive “to” and “from” work is only about a half an hour trip each way. 

However, considering that my old job was an hour drive “to” and “from” work, then an 8 hour shift of straight drive time (on good days), I am Blessed and highly grateful for the job I have now – esp. in this kind of weather!! Controlling several thousand pounds of vehicle/cargo  vs. controlling 35,000 lbs + of vehicle/cargo on these hilly, careening roads with drop-offs on both sides is MUCH easier/less stressful!!

So, it is off to work I go – praying for the weather to hold off until I am once again safely ensconced in my home this evening.

Wish me luck!!

    😉   

Stay safe and warm y’all!

p.s.  Before you ask – YES, I can/do/have drive(n) anything with wheels, and several things without. My Grandpa was a Big-Rig driver for an oil refinery, who taught me how to drive long before the age of 10 (my nickname was “Boy” LOL). This has come in very handy in my lifetime!    😉     My first lessons were on our old FARM-ALL with a 25′ hay trailer attached. My next lessons were on our FORD pick-em up truck. My first car lessons were on his Fast-Back Mustang. This seemed “backwards” in vehicle-size learning to me – until I was older and understood/appreciated the “importance” of the Fast-Back!!    😉   

I loved that car!!

Too much fun on our old gravel roads!  Hehehehehe    🙂   

NO – I never wrecked ANY of these – MaMaw would have KILLED us both (me and my Grandpa)!! But, since she was a nurse – I guess she could have “fixed” us back up later.    🙂   

Have a great day!!