Icy Winter Adventures

The reason I posted so many times within the past two weeks is because I was quite ill and had plenty of time on my hands. Now that I am well once again and living at my customary breakneck speed, I am less likely to sit down and write. I will shoot for three times a week!

Yesterday was my first trip to town since December 19, the day we got 15" of snow. Since then we have accumulated an additional 15" of snow, with some freezing rain on top of that. Our privately-maintained dirt/mud/ice/snow road was poorly plowed and is frightfully rough. The main roads are now bare and dry, but side roads still have some icy patches, and parking lots in town are a huge mess.

My favorite grocery store takes the prize for worst parking lot. I am not in the habit of cruising around the lot looking for a parking space as close as possible to the door, but yesterday I was doing just that. Alas, a close spot was not to be found, and I settled for a more distant space. Then I sat in the car for several minutes, deciding whether it was worth risking a fall just to buy groceries. Having opted to go for it, I picked up an empty shopping cart along the way to the store, which added some stability to my journey across the rutted ice.

But then I had to get back to my vehicle with that cart loaded and heavy. Asking for help from an employee crossed my mind, but I didn't act on it. By the time I realized just how much trouble I was in, I was in the middle of the parking lot and it was too late. I suppose I could have sat down on the ice and cried. Somebody might have helped me! Better yet, I suppose I could have called the store on my cell phone and asked them to send reinforcements. Now, why didn't I think of that at the time?!

Eventually I made it back to my vehicle, not without straining my back. But I wasn't out of the woods yet: I still had to maneuver the contents of the cart into my vehicle, and take the cart to a cart stall. Fortunately, that was not far away. Safely in my car once again, I breathed a sigh of relief and went on my way.

Lesson learned: always carry Yaktrax in the car!!!