Let it snow

It’s snowing.

For Alabama, this is more than a natural phenomenon. It’s an event, something for adults to curse and children to celebrate. It’s a time for school closings and traffic gridlocks as the roads ice over.

This storm caught everyone, including the TV weather men, off guard. Local channels showed pictures of the interstates looking like a dominoes game of Mexican Train, with cars pointing in every which direction. Many folks had abandoned their cars, and businesses and community centers opened their doors to those who needed a warm place to crash. 

My youngest daughter, who stayed home from work because the baby was sick, couldn’t get to the school to pick up my other grandson. A friend of hers made it through and got him, but it took that mom three hours to travel the five miles home. My oldest daughter holed up in a coffee shop about a mile from the library where she works. A friend offered her a bed for the night. 

As for me, I stayed put. I'm as snug as the proverbial bug in a rug. No need for me to stick my tootsies outside. My tenant climbed the hill on foot this morning to tell me he had abandoned his car crossways at the bottom of our driveway. I couldn’t go anywhere even if I wanted to. As long as the propane lasts and the power stays on, I’ll be fine.

My critters have plenty of hay, and I moved my tractor yesterday evening to give them  more shelter. Their water tank is the type that doesn’t freeze up, except around the top between the ball and the inside rim. Donkey can easily paw that loose. I’ve seen him do it. Mallory, my TWH mare, is wearing her new horse blanket. The others don't need blankets because they’ve grown thick, furry coats for the winter. I even remembered to fill the bird feeders yesterday, and the feathered friends covering the perches are chirping their chilly thanks. At least, I think they are. I wasn’t about to open the window to find out.

So, after a lunch of toasted cheese sandwich and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, I  did what any red-blooded American woman would do under the circumstances:

I made a batch of chocolate-chip cookies.