Snowpocalypse 2009
Alternately titled “In Which I Was Rescued by the Fire Department”, not to be confused with “That Time I Was Rescued by the Coast Guard“.
Friday morning, at seven thirty, I left for work. My last day before two weeks of freedom. The company Christmas luncheon at the Grove Park Inn. Automated messages to update. Red sweaterdresses to wear. The snow had just started, was barely spitting, and the roads were clear.
Fifteen minutes later, I was eastbound on I-40 and it was covering up. The snow was falling hard and fast. I knew at this point that I had to turn around, so like an idiot, I got off of the interstate and took NC 215 to 19/23. I made it as far as Jones Cove Road, where I promptly spun out, barely managing to get the car on to the shoulder going in the opposite direction.
After a State Trooper turned my car around and back into traffic, I pulled into the parking lot just in time to watch the plow come through. Oh, and thanks to the jackass that jack-knifed his pickup and horse trailer that prevented the very handsome State Trooper from taking me home right then. Bad snow karma for YOU.
It was at this point that I realized I wasn’t going to make it home on my own. Enter frantic and tearful phone calls here.
After the plow came through, I got back out on the road, since at this point I had not found anyone to come rescue me. Somehow I managed to get just fifteen or so miles from the house before losing an argument with a slushy uphill run, managing another 180 without hitting anything, getting the car turned around and pulling into some stranger’s driveway.
Two hours later, I was given the number to the local volunteer fire department. I called, with reservations. Really? Rescued by the fire department? Do they do that? How many calls are filed under “take silly girl in front wheel drive car home during snowstorm”? Well, I know of at least one.
I’ve never been so happy to see my front door in my entire life.
There was little time for celebration, however. I needed to get a fire started in the woodburner and put water up for the inevitable power outage. I did all of that on my cell phone, checking in with friends and family and neighbors. Just as I finished, and finally had time to throw some soup in the microwave? The power went out. So I put a lid on my lunch and set it in the snow on the porch.
Then I took a nap, because being a damsel in distress is exhausting.
I woke up to this:
The power came back on long enough for me to eat my soup and assemble my flashlights, headlamp, candles and radio. It went off again shortly after dark.
Last night was a sea of contradiction. There was the complete and utter silence of darkness and freshly fallen snow, broken by the harsh loud crack of trees giving in to the weight of their sugar coating. The darkness of the house and the sky set against the reflection of filtered moonlight that gave the landscape an eerie glow.
Relative isolation without ability to use the aircard or make a phone call, and yet a strong sense of intimacy created by twitter and text messages and the help given to me by my community that morning. The warmth of the fire and then the bitter cold of snow outside. Wonder and fear, comfort and the heavy responsibility of caring for myself and the house in a situation where letting your guard down could make the difference between an adventure and a disaster. It all ran together- beauty, danger, comfort, isolation, intimacy, dark, light, silence and the sound of wood cracking- to make something so strange and etheral that it defies proper description.
When I woke up this morning, only the beauty and comfort were left. Daylight has a way of doing that.
The most beautiful part of the whole morning was when the power came back on and I fired up the coffee pot. Or, you know, this:
I’m not sure.
What I am pretty sure about: not going anywhere until the driveway no longer looks like this:
Does anyone know how long it takes a foot or two of snow to melt?
13 comments
Depends on sunlight and temps. Could be a few hours, could be a few days.
Can’t tell you how thankful I am to NOT have that on MY driveway (anymore).
.-= MsDarkstar´s last blog ..F- Word Friday =-.
Those are some beautiful pictures!!! You take care of yourself!
.-= Jennifer McKenzie´s last blog ..Welcome =-.
So glad you are safe! The pics are beautiful. Makes me miss the snow. I love the silence after a big snowstorm. Like no other sound. Stay warm!
.-= emma´s last blog ..Best 09: Day Nineteen =-.
What? No stunning picture of the dashing State Trooper?
I’m surprised at you….
He was camera shy. Plus, I couldn’t tell him that I needed a picture to proof his hotness- it would have ruined my feminine mystique.
.-= Mr. Apron´s last blog ..Hair Cut(e) =-.
Well the snow is going to be sticking around for some time. It will melt a little bit but we have another storm on the way that should land on Christmas Eve. This one is coming through the Gulf and the hubs informed me (and I am assuming he knows what he is talking about cause I don’t) that when it comes through the Gulf it usually means we are hard hit. So get out ASAP or have someone come get you and hit the store and stock up right away.
BTW, the second pic is my fave…..gorgeous!
He is absolutely right. I’m making out my grocery list RIGHT. NOW.
hey, a white Christmas? I’ll take it.
.-= Angela´s last blog ..Snowman =-.
At least it’s beautiful…
or no booze. any of those three would make sad face appropriate.
It is incredibly beautiful. no sad face. sad face is for no power and no food.
.-= LiLu´s last blog ..I Thought I Never Wanted to Hear the Name “Tiger Woods” Again… =-.
it is beautiful but I prayed hard for it to miss us and I woke up this morning to nary a flake of snow. THANK GOD!
Shut up.
.-= Tricia´s last blog ..Some disturbing revelations today… =-.
What an adventure! So glad you’re safe and that you made the most of it!
Thanks.
It has been quite the adventure!
Does it make you feel better that the reason the snow storm missed us is because of the frigid cold front pushing down on us from Canada that has left us in single digit and negative temps all week? Apparently that cold front pushed the storm south of us? Went to bed thinking we were in a 2-4″ range prediction but woke up to nada?
It makes me feel a little bit better. It’s 19 here this morning but colder would be worse.
.-= Tricia´s last blog ..Some disturbing revelations today… =-.
Wow. Those pics are awesome. Snowfall’s silence has a way of making us calm. Until we have to wait for it to move out of our way or off our driveway. I hope it clears up soon.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Life Lessons in Pipe Fittings =-.
This is kind of like listening to a fairy tale because I have little to no experience with snow. Except, you don’t turn out to be a damsel in distress, but the heroine.
And I was wondering what your tweets were about, so I suppose now I know.
.-= nicopolitan´s last blog ..Brothers =-.
aaahhhhhhhhhhhh . . . breath takingly beautiful . . . winter wonderland !
I find it so crazy that these photos are in the Southern US, and me, in a Canadian mountain town, is not seeing anything like this when I look out the window. Enjoy it
.-= Princess Pointful´s last blog ..2009 in photos. =-.
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