Twists & Turns: Snow in the Deep South

Wow! That was a lot of snow in January!

Heck, that was a lot of snow for the deep south for a whole year…maybe even 5 years! And I have to admit we didn’t quite know what to do with it. It’s understandable that the deep south doesn’t invest in a lot of snow removal equipment or even salt for that matter. And for those of us who live in a rural part of the deep south it is even worse.

If you have snow on the ground and ice on the roads, you just don’t go anywhere. Not to the barber, not to the grocery store and not even to Walmart! This is to be expected for a couple of days, right? But when it goes on for close to five days it’s almost panic time!

Our situation was particularly interesting because Teddy was laid up with the flu.

Fortunately, I had the things you need for that so my only problem with him was that he couldn’t get out of bed.

The temperature here in Lower Alabama reached the mid-teens at night, so no matter how much you think you’ve covered and wrapped every pipe or faucet, you keep the water dripping, right? For 5 nights. Can’t wait to see the water bill.

Also, the HVAC system (Heat pump) never seemed to cut off for 5 days. Can’t wait to see the electricity bill.

On Day One: The mail was not there, the garbage pick-up was not running, and I began to crave any known food that I didn’t have to cook. I quickly went through the supplies I had already laid in.

Funny how being housebound because of snow will increase your appetite. Or maybe it was watching TV all day.

I began to eat canned sardines and tuna. Teddy, being sick, was happy to exist on juice and water. He didn’t even want soup.

The funny part was on the second day, he climbed out of the bed, looked out the window and yelled, “It’s still snowing!” He unsteadily grabbed for his pants and informed me he was going to go outside. “No, you’re not!” I ordered, hiding his shoes, “You’re acting like a nine-year-old. Get back in bed.” “

I feel better!” He argued, “And I want to take pictures!” “No! I’ll go take pictures. You are grounded!” I could practically see the waves of fever coming off him. “Go lay down before you fall over! Even an ambulance couldn’t get through this.”

So, I went out and took the pictures you see at the top of this article. It was beautiful, no doubt. No other foot had crossed my pristine, white yard. And the silence was, indeed, golden.

No school buses rushing past, no cars and trucks with people on their way to work…no people on their way anywhere! But y’all, the air and wind were so COLD! I can’t remember, if ever, going out into 25-degree weather, more snow piling up on the ground and wind at 15 miles an hour. Needless to say, I didn’t stay out long.

It had taken me longer to get all of the layers of clothing on than the time I stayed outside.

More on Day 2: Teddy’s fever is down but his withdrawal symptoms of not being able to get out are ramping up. I remind him that making snow angels would be cause for hospitalization should he dislocate a shoulder.

Day 3: Okay, I’m here to tell you that you can get brain freeze from looking at 6 inches of snow for any length of time. However, I didn’t see one single mosquito or gnat or bug of any kind so that was a positive sign.

Day 4: I now know why my parents spoke of hiking to school and back 5 miles every day in the snow, uphill (both ways). They thought even the hint of such a calamity would keep us in line, while knowing it would never happen. Well, mom and dad, all I can say is I am ready to hike 5 miles to any open Walmart whether it’s uphill or not, snowing or not.

Day 5: Well, it’s finally melting, and I did manage to get to a restaurant to eat a normal meal that wasn’t canned and didn’t swim in the ocean. Teddy was content, finally, to stay in bed with his books and TV and eat the only thing he asked for, banana pudding. Y’all know that in the south, even during a snow blizzard, you can find banana pudding!

For my final thoughts on this subject, which I hope will never occur again, I will say this:

If a thunderstorm is Nature screaming, a snowfall is Nature meditating. She’s quietly enjoying the silent beauty of creation. However, I am ready for Nature to take her unreliable mood swings to a zip code that’s further north!