A Cold Wind Blew
I wasn’t able to do my morning walk the past few days. I take the possibility of frostbite and falling quite seriously. The blowing snow whipped by wind gusts almost made blizzard conditions and the visibility almost nil. The weather did little to woo me from my wood burner warmed home. Snow and ice does nothing to entice me to do my morning walk, even when I am sure there are some beautiful scenes to photograph. The blood of the Norsemen or Vikings must not course through my veins.
The most unusual fact of the entire storm system was that the snow drifts that were routinely plowed to the side of the road and dumped into my driveway didn’t occur. The drifts were not nearly as high because there were fewer snow plow trucks pushing the drifting snow into higher and higher drifts. I tried to remove the small amount of snow deposited by the plow trucks, but it was frozen solid and I had no desire to chop it loose. It was only about three inches high and solid. My car and the vehicles of my visiting kids drove over it easily.
Although the wind was extremely strong and cold, it did shift the snow across the road and away from my driveway. I was layered and bundled up, but hauling in some firewood and the time I spent outside was more than enough.
I was blessed Sunday morning when my daughter Anna Beck Prinkey and her husband James came by and picked me up. The roads were snow covered and very slippery. Even his Chevy truck had a few sliding episodes, but we made it safely.
All my kids and grandkids gathered at my house for a late lunch; ham, cowboy caviar, fruit and/or broccoli salads, with desserts of cookies, chocolates, and nut rolls. Our appetites sated, we moved to the living room to open gifts. Before all of the presents were opened, the annual wadded-up wrapping paper “snowball” battle began. It was a slightly subdued battle with only two “snowballs” ending up in the Christmas tree. Amid hugs and kisses, my family gathered their gifts sorting them into carry-alls, the food was divvied up, and goodbyes were said, my house settled into its quiet routine.
I drove to evening church services. The road seemed less snow-covered and slippery. It was a full day, Merry Christmas to all.