The Blizzard of 2011

    Life is very quiet today.  The sun is shining, making the ice on the trees shimmer like diamonds in the rough.  For a little while my corner of the world looks pristine and delectably wealthy.  The "Blizzard of 2011" has ceased, at least for the moment. We have about 18-20 inches of snow, layered on top of 1/2 inch of ice. Plus the last 5 inches of snow left from storm number 4. Not bad stats for a "blizzard"!!

   Tommy and I are officially closed off from the rest of the world.  We will be on our own for several days, but we are prepared and are planning on having fun.  I-70 was closed last night from St. Louis to Kansas City. At that time it was snowing sometimes up to 3 inches an hour.  Beautiful, but impossible to navigate in.  All the side roads are closed. Some places have drifts up to 3 feet deep. Even though we have a 4 wheel drive Blazer--we can't go anywhere.

         There was nothing left to do but begin to dig out. Our plan of attack was to dig 30 feet to our garage. The temperature hovered around 0 and the wind was biting cold. Right about this time, we began  to argue over who cluttered up the garage so much, that we can't park in there. We finally called it a "draw", and went on to the next argument---where  the second snow shovel happened to be. It has been a week and I still don't know where the darn snow shovel is!!!

Tommy did most of the shoveling---since I only had a little shovel. LOL I kept him in coffee and moral support. After he got the path completed, it was my turn to feed the birds and drag the dogs out of the house. We changed places. Tommy went inside--and pretty much stayed!!!

I felt good. It shouldn't take long to fill four bird feeders and by this time the dogs were already out and fed. I should be back inside for "Dr.Phil", coffee and cake. I love a plan

. However, my plans seldom go exactly like I think they should. As I was walking, bird feeders in hand.  I slipped on the ice and my feet literally flew out from under me. Bird food went sailing, my bogon was knocked off my head and suddenly I had to pee so BAD!!!  I found myself lying flat on my back, yelling for help and unable to get up.

No one came to my rescue. The dogs came by to check on me and then went into the garage. It was too cold for them.  I was yelling at the top of my lungs for Tommy------when he finally opens the back door, he bursts  out laughing and says "What are you doing down there?" 

No lie!!!  If I could have reached his foot I would have jerked him down with me!!!  I didn't really have a great answer for that question. It went something like, "Oh nothing, I am just laying here on top of the ice,covered in bird food--probably with a broken back and oh, by the way---I really need to pee"  It could have gone that way, but I kinda doubt it. I was a mess!!!

Tommy, still laughing says,  and I quote, "Don't go away---I need to put  on my boots and I will be out to help you up!!!"  He really did say that.  Like I was actually going somewhere!!!

      He gets me up--we brush off the bird food and take what's left around front. I really wasn't in any mood to feed those birds, but it wasn't their fault I fell down.  So we got them fixed up.

Our road stayed closed for 3 more days.  Everything finally went back to normal. Or as normal as we ever get!!!

I didn't fall anymore, the road grader finally made it down our road...which brought us back to the 2nd lost snow shovel.  When the grader came by it added another 2 feet of snow at the end of our driveway--which we had to dig out. I say "we" but I gotta admit that Tommy did it all. Once again I cheered him on, kept him in coffee and took pictures of all his hard work. As soon as we made it to town, he bought me my own personal snow shovel!! Paybacks are rotten sometimes. 

      With just a small touch of the occasional "cabin fever" we survived the Blizzard of 2011. Thank GOD!!

It is supposed to be 50 degrees by the weekend. Living in Missouri, at times, is like living in OZ. I can hardly wait to see what next week brings!  It is gonna have to go some to beat the events of last week!!!