All week, we've been hearing we'd get snow sometime this afternoon. Many schools went ahead and closed- even though weather.com only posted a 50% chance. Others waited until the first few flakes began to fall, and then immediately began sending children home.
Hubby and I rolled our eyes (he had the day off) and then got in the car. The girls go to the church Child Development Center on Thursdays, and the CDC follows the local school district. So we went to pick them up at noon. I was supposed to get lots done today, because I didn't have to work (but I did) and they were supposed to be in school all day (but they weren't). I have been longing for snow, but this was not the best day for it!
AND, by the time we picked up our kiddos, the snowfall was tapering off. Around 3 or 4 (when most of the kids would have been home from school, I might add) it started to pick up again. It began sticking to the driveways, and accumulating in the grass, and then finally dusting the roads. The girls were taking late naps, and Hubby and I started moving furniture. We decided we needed a bookshelf, and he wanted to be able to build them tonight.
I told him I wasn't sure. I said I had a bad feeling. But we are Northerners! We're not supposed to be afraid of a light snow! So after the girls got up & had a snack, we headed out. We got some great shelves for either side of our fire place, quickly picked up a few other things including some groceries for dinner, and headed home. We noted that we had the entire shopping center to ourselves and joked that it was the perfect time to shop. The roads by the mall and most of the way home were in great shape.
But getting into our subdivision is what worried me all along. People slide down our hill when it rains. Ice and snow would have to make it a little more difficult, right? But we've lived here for four years, and we've never had a problem or seen any reason to actually call off school. Like my hubs said, it's like the boy who cried "snow."Could it really be that bad?
Sure enough, when we turned in, there were lines of cars waiting to chance driving up the hill. We watched a few failed attempts, and even fewer successes. Finally, our turn came. Like the little engine that could, we chugged up the hill and made it... about halfway. We could go no further, and then we started to slide backwards.
I can think of only a few times in my life when I was more scared than at that moment- looking behind us, past my two little girls, out the rear window at an SUV who had parked on the side of the road. We were headed straight for it, but somehow Hubby (or God!) helped us miss it, slide down a little more and land almost gently against a curb. We pulled into a neighbor's yard (where three other cars were already parking) and tried to figure out what to do.
Eventually, we bundled up the girls, grabbed the groceries, and started walking. It was probably about a half a mile. At one point, Big Sis said her toes were "like Frosty." We got home, pulled off our wet shoes and clothing, made a quick plate of nachos for dinner and sat by the fire.
We discovered the difference between Ohio and here.
You ready?
SALT.
A neighbor told us that they don't ever come salt the neighborhood, or many of the roads around here. And that our van might be sitting right where it is until the temp gets above freezing- which won't be until Monday. MONDAY!
And THAT is why people around here freak out about a few flakes.
Seriously, there is not enough on the ground for us to make snow angels or even make snowballs. But we could be stranded for three more days.
We learned, the hard way, a healthy respect for snow in the South. I'm so thankful that we weren't hurt. I'm kicking myself that we could have put the girls in any danger. And I'm not completely distraught at the idea of all four of us being all snugly snowed in together, although Big Sis is still showing her ahem strong-willed side.
But mostly, I'm just mad nobody told me about the salt. Or lack thereof.
Or maybe I'm mad that nobody seems to have told the people in charge down here about it!
4 comments:
Well I am glad that you got to at least see that the people in the south or not Idiots when it comes to snow. There are reasons why we take extra precautions when a threat of snow is in the forcast. My personal opinion, I do not think that salt is something to keep on hand and cover the entire city when it may only snow enough for one or two times a year. (If that). So instead we decide to hunker down. Clear the walmart shelves of their milk, bread, and eggs and brave the roads only when it is absolutely necessary. Personally I have enjoyed my day off. We have been working on a home improvement project as well. We are installing a new vanity in the upstairs bathroom. However, knowing that it might come to this, we bought all the materials on Monday. :)
ha! I don't think I ever thought people down here were idiots about the snow. Maybe just afraid of something they hadn't experienced much. But apparently we're the ones who needed to experience something new!
I can see how keeping lots of salt on hand would not be the most feasible thing to do. But it still seems a little silly that we saw this coming for a LONG time, even closed some schools well in advance, yet couldn't go ahead and salt/sand roads in preparation. I mean, don't even keep it on hand, just order it when you can foresee a storm! ;)
Glad you're having a productive snow day!
I am one of those Southerners who has always feared the snow...well, not so much the snow, but the possible underlying ice. We seem to always get enough sun to melt the snow and then temps drop and freeze it. I also welcome an excuse to stay in...since I am a homebody and all :)
So glad that you were protected. I have no doubt Whose hand was in that!
They put salt (or sand, or SOMETHING) out afterwards. It was all over E. Brainerd and Gunbarrel roads (and people's cars!). I agree that it may not be feasible to keep it on hand for only one or two times... but, if it IS on hand, and you put it out AFTERwards, why not put it out beforehand when you know that it is in the forecast? Or even, when the flakes first start to fall?
It would have had no effect on us, we were in a residential neighborhood that never was going to get salted. But there were a lot of people coming home from work at the time we had our incident, and there were reports of cars in ditches on Graysville and Morris Hill roads. A little salt on the roads before (not after) could have prevented some of that.
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