First of all, I need to ask forgiveness from all my relatives who live in snow country: Colorado, Utah, Kansas, Missouri … and all of those in the northern Midwest who have just endured one of the most severe winter storms in recent history My recent foray with snow is probably nothing compared with what you deal with seasonally. However, for us it was unexpected, disruptive, and destructive.
I live at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, right where three mountain ranges come together: the Coastal, the Klamath Mountains, and the Cascades. Because of this location, we get the extreme heat of the valley in the summer but also some rather severe and cold storms in the winter, but only occasionally with snow.
Last week, however, the weatherman got it right. We had snow. Our worst since 1968. It started at about seven in the evening but it was wet and wasn’t sticking. By the time I went to bed it was more slush than snow. When I woke up … well, that was a different story. Over a foot of snow, downed trees everywhere (four plus years of drought had made them pretty brittle), and no power.
Gas stove tops were ignited, camp stoves pulled out, generators fired up, and battery blocks located. Then the texts and phone calls began in earnest. Everyone checking on everyone else, making sure friends and family were safe and had a warm place to be.
My mother gave me an Amish perpetual calendar a year ago, and I have been enjoying the pictures and sayings that accompany each day. This last snowstorm and the subsequent concern and help by neighbors and friends reminded me of the quote for January 20th which showed a barn and house amidst a beautiful snowscape. It read: “A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together.”
Aint't that the truth, Bubba.
I live at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, right where three mountain ranges come together: the Coastal, the Klamath Mountains, and the Cascades. Because of this location, we get the extreme heat of the valley in the summer but also some rather severe and cold storms in the winter, but only occasionally with snow.
Last week, however, the weatherman got it right. We had snow. Our worst since 1968. It started at about seven in the evening but it was wet and wasn’t sticking. By the time I went to bed it was more slush than snow. When I woke up … well, that was a different story. Over a foot of snow, downed trees everywhere (four plus years of drought had made them pretty brittle), and no power.
Gas stove tops were ignited, camp stoves pulled out, generators fired up, and battery blocks located. Then the texts and phone calls began in earnest. Everyone checking on everyone else, making sure friends and family were safe and had a warm place to be.
My mother gave me an Amish perpetual calendar a year ago, and I have been enjoying the pictures and sayings that accompany each day. This last snowstorm and the subsequent concern and help by neighbors and friends reminded me of the quote for January 20th which showed a barn and house amidst a beautiful snowscape. It read: “A snowflake is one of God’s most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together.”
Aint't that the truth, Bubba.
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