Please read this...'Major snow event,' shameless plug and more
<p class="p1">Sorry. No pictures this week. I had intended to have at least one image this week. However, that went down the tubes Monday morning.</p><p class="p1">Actually, it may have started going down the tubes last Saturday afternoon. </p><p class="p1">Saturday seems like such a long time ago. Back before the snow. And the bitter, bitter cold.</p><p class="p1">That's not to say that it wasn't cold last Saturday afternoon. 'Cause it was cold. Really cold. Just like the "experts" said it would be.</p><p class="p1">By Saturday evening, those same "experts" also were prognosticating about the potential arrival of snow in America's Heartland, or wherever it is that we live.</p><p class="p1">Early Friday morning, the National Weather Service office in Paducah also was warning us about a potential winter storm. </p><p class="p1">The weather service issued a "special weather statement" which advised that "a measurable snow event is taking shape for the region starting Sunday and continuing into early Monday morning." Well, they were right about that.</p><p class="p1">The statement continued: "There is still some disparity among model solutions so there is a high uncertainty with respect to the location and amounts of snow at this time. We don't expect this to be a major snow event." Oops.</p><p class="p1">Of course, it turned out that we did indeed have a "major snow event." That was why I was out early Monday morning shoveling a path to my car, and then removing the snow from said vehicle.</p><p class="p1">I suppose it was good that the snow was "dry," and somewhat light and fluffy, which made it easy to shovel. I was able to hit the road, which I actually could not see, because the road was under a layer of white stuff, and more was coming as the "major snow event" continued.</p><p class="p1">Turned out that I really did not see much road at all between my humble abode and metropolitan Anna. And, to make matters worse, my windshield wipers decided to start going bad. Sigh.</p><p class="p1">While motoring along new U.S. Route 51, I saw two vehicles which had gotten stuck in the snow. At one point, the semi which I could see in the rearview mirror did a little bit of slipping and sliding on the highway.</p><p class="p1">One thought kept rushing through my mind as I journeyed through the still-falling snow on a highway which I could not see: This is really, really stupid and maybe I should have stayed home.</p><p class="p1">Fortunately, I made it safely to The Paragraph Factory and pretty much plowed into what became a parking space at that particular moment. At the time this was being composed, I was not certain whether I would be able to get the vehicle back on the road.</p><p class="p1">One positive note: last week, the first, bright yellow crocus bloomed in our front yard. Of course, by Monday morning, the flower was under six or eight inches of snow. </p><p class="p1">Oh, well, I guess it could be worse. We could be in Boston. </p><p class="p1">Anyway, next time, hopefully, we will ponder whether or not Abraham Lincoln was a bird watcher.</p><p class="p2">***</p><p class="p1">Before we finsh up, once again it is time for a shamless plug: The good folks who are members of the Friends of Stinson Library plan to have a winter book sale this Friday and Saturday. The sale will be at Stinson Memorial Library.</p><p class="p1">Friends members can come late Friday afternoon, and the sale is open to the public on Saturday. In addition to winter books, there will be spring books, summer books, fall books. . .oh, never mind. . .</p><p class="p2">***</p><p class="p1">And, on a bit of a personal note: Thank you to Garry's Girl and Alice for the nice card. It was quite mooving.</p>