Story by Jon Stalnaker AKA The Studebaker Dude
That’s what all the local meteorologists call it; Single-digit temperatures with double-digit negatives considering the wind chill factor. It started a few days ago with a layer of sleet that immediately stuck to the ground and froze up the cement and roadways. Followed by a dusting of snow that covered the ice layer that was still slippery underneath.
All the weather experts have been strongly recommending that we stay inside if we can. The news channels are replete with pictures of tractor-trailer rigs on their sides, in ditches, and at complete stops in their lanes as they cannot get enough traction to make it up and over the hills. Smaller cars that had stopped for a traffic light were unable to move forward on the green light as their tires were just spinning in place.
They were warning us all last week to prepare for this event. We went to the grocery store the day before all this started, to stock up our kitchen so we could hunker down until the sun came back out. Because we are relatively newcomers to the Oklahoma weather scene, we knew we did the right thing when we saw big lines for the cashiers at our local Reasor’s market. Typically, we are no further back in line than 3 carts. I should have timed the wait, it was significant.
This is the time we appreciate being retired the most. Neither of us have jobs and we have plenty of recorded TV shows and movies to entertain us for much longer periods of inclement weather than we have experienced since we moved here 4 years ago. I don’t even have to go outside to get my walking done as a treadmill was one of my first expenditures when we moved here from California. I have been faithfully achieving my 6 to 10 thousand steps every day (except Sundays). I exclude the period of time that I had to stop working out because I slipped and broke my wrist on the slippery ice of our driveway. That should give you a clue as to why I take these dangerously cold warnings seriously. I also take my wife’s warnings more seriously as it was “my bad” that I broke my wrist in the first place. She did tell me not to do it, but did I listen to her? Noooo…
I wanted the 4 seasons of weather that we have in Oklahoma and I really enjoy the snow. I don’t have to go out in it if I don’t want to. I still like to venture out to get some stunning pictures of our home decked with snow, but I wear studded boots and walk like my life depends on it. It does actually because as sweet and wonderful as my wife is, I don’t take it for granted that she is not capable of pounding sense into my pea brain. She may be little, but I’m a little bit scared of her. Please don’t contact the authorities as I do jest, (or do I?)…
The big problem we are having is getting our new dog, PeeWee, to take care of business out back. Sally doesn’t let the snow stop her, but PW just prefers to hold it. Carlene has ordered a sweater but the snow will probably be gone by the time we get it. She finally let loose today making a plate size yellow circle on the patio. Poor baby.
And the fact that snow events don’t hang around too long is something I like most about the Oklahoma weather, they are already forecasting that the temperature next week will be in the high sixties. I can wait that long; I still have a couple of jigsaw puzzles to put together. And I love spending time with my wife too. I joke about her being mean but she is hardly that at all. We like to play. Last night as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed a picture of my house on Facebook. My neighbor Paul, AKA Sixty 6 Drone Works, sent me a drone image of our house dressed in all its winter wonderland beauty. I just love the pictures he takes from elevations I cannot reach with my phone. I’m so lucky to have great neighbors. I took a picture of our snow dusted back yard from the upstairs window where I work out. It’s just enough to be beautiful but not too much that I have to go out in it and work. I’ll be inside the house in comfortable clothes with my favorite person and two sweet dogs. I can hear Joe Walsh singing in my ears. “Life’s been good to me so far”…
