Leave a CommentShare: |
Subscribe
Snow sounds like thunder cracking right on top of the roof as it breaks up and slides off the edge of the house. The first time I heard the sound of snow breaking up on the roof, I thought the house was under guerrilla attack. I remember when I used to fantasize about living someplace where it snowed, like really snowed, and where the snow actually stuck around for more than a day. Snow looks very idyllic in paintings and photographs, you know. I still love snow, but I’d love it more if I didn’t have to go anywhere. If you gotta go somewhere, it’s a real problem. For one thing, it’s cold. (I know, that is a breathtakingly insightful remark!) It’s really cold when you’re taking care of farm animals, and even colder when you’re trying to keep them in water (which keeps freezing).
I managed to not go anywhere for eight days, and even managed to get the kids off the farm, to civilization and education and work at McDonald’s and basketball. Then I started really missing them and yesterday was Morgan’s birthday. I was determined to get them back!
It’s hard to be determined and wussy at the same time, but I knew I could overcome with careful attention to detail.
Almost thwarted by losing my car keys (hey, if you don’t go anywhere for eight days, you don’t need no stinkin’ car keys! the cats took off with them! that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!), I finally managed to come up with my spare car key then promptly handed it to someone else (52). He took my car down the still-snowy driveway with the obnoxious ease with which men handle these sorts of death-defying tasks.
Resting assured that the biggest challenge was out of the way, I set about baking chocolate birthday cake in preparation for the great birthday event. Cake cooling on wire racks, I set off from the house. I was leaving the house! Quite momentous after eight days.
I was glad I didn’t have to drive down the driveway because there was still snow on it.
There was still snow on the road, too.
There are two ways off our farm–the two miles on our rock-based road that goes through three creeks and over the hill, or across the river. If you just want to run over to our little town, fording the river is the long way. So I headed out through the creeks.
This is what the first creek looked like as I drove through it.
Still, all was good! Except for the part where my gas gauge was sitting on E. Hmmm. Why didn’t I know about that?
Then I got to the hill and it looked like this.
See that dark area kinda off to the right just beyond the snow-covered road? That’s a steep dropoff. There are no guardrails, of course.
Then I started sliding.
And screaming and sobbing and shaking. And there was no way I was going to keep going. I would, in fact, at that moment, have been happy if I could have transported myself to Mars just to get out of that car and off that road.
So I backed up. Or slid or whatever. And somehow managed to get back home to our farm where I parked at the bottom of our driveway and declared then and there that I wasn’t going anywhere ever again or at least not until tomorrow.
And after I get some gas.
But! All was not lost yesterday! First, I did finally get all of my kids back home in time for the birthday dinner (with help from 52). And! I was thrilled to learn that I was a finalist in the Best-Kept Secret category of the 2009 Bloggies! THANK YOU to all of you who nominated Chickens in the Road! Thank you from Clover and Coco and the chickens and, most of all, from me!
I still need your help! Please vote for me now? Go here. Scroll to the right (not down). You can vote once per email address, so grab your family, your friends, your dog, your cat, your goat, and vote! And tell your friends! (If you don’t get your confirmation email, your vote won’t count. Email the Bloggies coordinator for assistance.)
Princess, in that final moment of anticipation just before blowing the candles out. The candles were a make-do affair dredged up from about the house. Since I didn’t get to the store, I didn’t have enough proper birthday cake candles.
Cake for everybody!
4:40
am
5:00
am
We get quite a bit of snow here in IA (the long lasting stuff. But at least most of the state is quite a bit flatter, very few scary drop-offs.
Glad ur baby got home to eat your birthday cake
(which I imagine to be amazing).
5:42
am
6:17
am
7:01
am
Many congratulations on your nomination for the Bloggies. I’m off to vote for you!
Suzanne, the Farmer’s Wife
7:16
am
off to vote for you….
7:31
am
7:41
am
7:48
am
Get a set of chains for your vehicle and have 52 teach you how to put them on. Or better yet, get a set like the emergency vehicles have that just drop down and attach to the tires. Don’t ask me how that works, I’m curious about that myself.
And yeah for birthday girls and bloggie awards!!!
8:08
am
8:09
am
8:27
am
If your car is sliding, have you tried weighing it down? Cat litter and/or rocks in the trunk make a really big difference. And if you ever manage to get into town, see about getting chains for your tires.
8:39
am
9:00
am
Discovered you via the Bloggie Awards. Vote
9:05
am
Love your blog, LOVE the chickens!
And good luck with the bloggies. I voted! Hope that you win!
Jen
9:48
am
Look at it in terms of self preservation. Further up the line place deep posts with braided cable strung between them at the spots the car could slide off the road. Cheap insurance. The Tire Chain suggestion I saw is a real good idea. Strap Chains! They go on and off without a college education. Be careful but stay confident. Happy Birthday to Princess. Peace. Don
9:51
am
10:17
am
Beth in PA
10:30
am
10:54
am
Yes, I love Morgan’s new hairstyle, too.
Happy birthday Morgan…and best wishes on the bloggies Suzanne!!!
Kris
Working hard at http://www.sccworlds.com
10:58
am
11:14
am
I’m so glad Morgen got her birthday party and her chocolate cake. I had one on standby for her, should she not have gotten one!
11:37
am
Happy Birthday Princess!
Traci
11:37
am
11:41
am
Princess looks like she is really concentrating on her birthday wish – hope it comes true!
I tell the temperature by how many times I have to change the water for my feral cats lol.
11:46
am
Jo
11:53
am
Great blog, by the way.
12:34
pm
1:08
pm
2:28
pm
My vote is cast.
2:28
pm
3:51
pm
4:00
pm
4:11
pm
4:15
pm
Glad y’all were able to spend the evening together for Princess Morgans birthday!
7:03
pm
10:19
pm
Suzanne,
I nominated you and have now voted for you too. Good Luck! xxoo
6:38
am
6:15
pm