Christmas
came and went in what seemed like one fell swoop and January arrived a little
too fast but with weather that was comforting—comforting until last week. Last
Thursday it was cold and around 10 a.m. the snow started falling quickly: All
in all it was about two inches but the snow stuck to streets and interstates
causing wreck after wreck. Ice had developed underneath the white covering.
Luckily
I had decided to go the grocery store at 8 that morning as I heard the weather
forecast—which I felt sure was right—and I wasn’t alone: The grocery store lot
was full. Thank heavens I found one parking place. Dashed in with my short list
and grabbed what I needed and finally made it out of a long checkout line to my
car. In retrospect, I wish I had gotten more food but hysteria can unnerve you
so that you not only feel the rush, your adrenaline is in high gear. Mine was
definitely. Big time.
That
evening I watched television and heard the worst weather forecast for the next
day which in essence was “A big snowstorm is on the way; be prepared.” I ran
around like a mad person replacing worn out batteries in every single LED item
I had, making coffee and putting it in a thermos, cooking soup and the like,
going downstairs and dragging up the snow shovel and was prepared for the
worst. The first worst in my case is having no electricity for it has happened
before when big snowstorms have hit my area. And the second worst was the fear
of being trapped inside with tons of snow outside.
Eventually
I went to sleep after thoughts of the impending storm were on my mind: I am so
guilty of thinking “What if?” but then many are in a bad weather prediction.
My
sleep did not last long for hysteria had set in: I got up and stood guard over
the television’s weather station and the windows in my house. And then I saw
the snow start as it normally does little by little but it picked up speed and
became ferocious blowing sideways. The wind was whipping around anything and
everything. Within half an hour, my front yard was covered as was the street
and my car. This was Friday morning and the snow was relentless for 26 hours;
it blanketed every single thing and by Saturday evening it finally ceased.
During
those 26 hours I had opened the storm door a gazillion times to sweep snow off
of my porch, which was actually ridiculous for no sooner had it been swept,
than it was covered up again. That was
totally fruitless so I gave up. The last time I peered out the window the snow
was almost to the top of my split rail fence. The snow hadn’t been that deep
here since 1978 for I remember that blizzard all too well and the snow was
heavy and hung around for two weeks.
If
there were anything good about getting almost 19 inches of snow, it was that it
was a fluffy and not heavy. But no matter, it was impossible to maneuver once
outside anywhere so I gave up and came back inside covered with snow. Another
saving grace was that the power had not gone off—yet-- and I held my breath on
that one for having no power in a snowstorm with frigid weather has to be the
worst thing other than the opposite of not having power in excessive hot
weather. Hot weather was not on my mind at all; having power was. And with
lighter snow although deep, the worry of roof collapsing went out of my mind
for it has happened here in the past with too many houses and places of
business. Couldn’t help but think of it though.
It
is now day six of looking at a snow mess. Oh the plow truck came more than once
and dug a trench in the middle of my street and the surrounding ones but the
piled up snow on the sides is still there. The snow is melting slowly as
yesterday we had a steady rain and a higher temperature but the day was gray
and hazy. Snow still blanketed too many areas.
It’s
frigid again and the melted snow has turned to ice in many places but I haven’t
ventured out to make sure of that point: I watched the forecast on television
and saw the updates for today—snow flurries. Swell. Only hoping that it is
flurries I see instead of snow.
Everyone
around me has been in the same quagmire: Stuck inside or digging frantically to
get the car out and trying to maneuver around the piles of snow to go to work
or just go anywhere. As for me, I have
been stuck here although I have ventured out with my dog many times and just
doing that wore me out even if my dog loved it. I am the victim of my own
hysteria for I will not drive in the one lane path and have to veer off into a
huge snow pile to let another car pass me. Been there, done that and it wasn’t
what anyone would call fun at all.
Snow
does produce hysteria if a blizzard decides to drop 19 inches of in a matter of
26 hours. There is only so much I decided to do and pacing was at the top of my
list; I have painted, written stories, seen people, fidgeted, cooked, cleaned
off stacked up areas in this house and am worn out. Am I alone in my doings and
feelings? Extremely doubtful.
I
can’t wait for the warm weather this weekend.
A
long while back, I used to think that snowstorms were fun and enjoyed being
outside in them but not now. Just the thought of another one sets my anxiety
level up to an all-time high. And rest assured we will get more snow for it is
just approaching the end of January. I only hope I’m just as prepared as I was
this time but one thing is a given: Snow has a partner: Hysteria.
Sherry
Hill
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Sherry Hill
All Rights Reserved
