Witch Notes: Priorities, 29 Nov 2015

 

Priorities. I always need something when I’m snowbound. I planned for the event by shopping the day before. We had no idea how much snow would ultimately fall. With a long driveway and a low to the ground car, driving through snow can be a challenge. My Camry has a very cool spoiler on the front which I won’t ruin for anything. The lawn tractor has a front blade, but I neglected to order tire chains and weights which Home Depot doesn’t carry. So it sits because it can’t move forward without traction until I find a John Deere dealer. Clearly, my own lesson in priorities.

But today, after Jerry did a little shovel work where the snow was deepest, we made our way up the driveway and drove to Walmart. Although the street looked mostly clear by our home, the rest of the streets near where we live were treacherous. I saw little evidence of gravel on the roads, only thick ice, which continued all the way into Walmart’s parking lot.

I don’t think it snowed more than a day or two. Usually, the temperature increases a bit, clearing the roads. But that didn’t happen. This time, it has stayed below freezing since the storm began, the nights in single digits. I spent part of my childhood in Alaska, so I love snow. There were times during winters there where the temperatures were no higher than 30 degrees below zero, so I’m accustomed to cold weather. But I’m older now, and safety seems more of an issue I suppose.

The ice in Walmart’s parking lot where we parked was life-threatening, no bare pavement visible in many places. We did the best we could as we returned to the car, moving from one dry area to another, until all that was left was 30 feet of solid ice with only the cart to hang on to. It was our choice to go there and to park where we did. But as a taxpayer, it would be nice if the roads had been better. It stopped snowing several days ago. The sun comes out, the road heats up, and because the temperatures remain below freezing, more ice develops. And it’s not like it’s unexpected around here. Most of us live between 3000 and 6000 feet above sea level. Central Oregon is an exquisite mixture of High Desert and the Cascade Mountain range. We say that there are two seasons here: Winter and August. Three, if you add fire season, what with all the ground-striking lightning that occurs.

So you’d think our local folks would plan a little better. It speaks to priorities, I think. Our safety feels like an afterthought at times. It’s expected to warm up on Tuesday, so the ice may melt before the snow plows come back. Limited funds, they’ll say.

Priorities, I say.

~Blessings to all!