I had to come up with something for supper, but didn’t feel like getting groceries on such a snowy day.

As usual, there was a long, deep drift across the front of the house that extended across the sidewalk. I’d have to wade through snow a couple feet deep and more to get to my car…!

Visibility was maybe 100 ft. (30.5 meters) ahead, and the roads hadn’t been cleared yet, especially of people who don’t understand turning on their lights helps others see them, if not them see others. I had visions of getting t-boned at an intersection if I went out and drove…! 

But I had an urge for spaghetti and meatballs, so I came up with a plan. I’d buy a large Subway meatball sandwich, put those meatballs in the sauce, and toast the bread they came on in the oven! 

I’d have to drive completely across town to get the sandwich, but I thought I could manage if I followed snow routes, main streets that get first attention for snow removal. (But not until after the snow stops! Oops!)

The drive proved uneventful, though, and I arrived safely back home…with the prized meatball submarine sandwich, holding eight ready-to-go meatballs. 

Carpet isn’t the best floor covering at the door in snow country…!

After I put the meatballs in the sauce, I saw the boys wanted to satisfy their curiosity about the latest snowstorm, which still raged outside with strong drift-making winds. I opened the door wide in the little ritual my cats and I have for snow days.

Dougy wasn’t too sure he actually wanted to get closer now that he saw how furiously it was blowing and snowing. Andy took one look from the distance and ran back into the front room.

 No snow for Andy! He got the picture! And so much for our little snow day ritual. Dougy’s a brave boy, though, and he slowly eased up to the edge of the door — as far as Andy usually goes — and stopped to take in the scene. 

Brave but not stupid! No way was he going to venture out into that storm!

“Snow” much for curiosity! Dougy ran off to join Andy in the warm front room!

My mail carrier may have scared off Dougy. I didn’t hear her coming, but Dougy surely did. I gratefully accepted the mail from this poor, frozen servant of the people. That’s her across the lane trudging up a handicap ramp covered in another drift. My neighbor gets a big drift the length of the ramp up to her front door.

You can’t see it, but the car on the left has a huge overhang of snow on the south (left) side. Before I could drive to get the meatball sandwich, I had to knock a similar overhang of snow from my car, the one pointed toward the camera. That’s the way it is here. The wind comes from the north, big drifts form on the opposite side of the cars. There always is a big overhang of snow and a deep drift along the driver’s side of the car unless…

…I back my car into the spot, then the big drift isn’t on the driver’s side. 

Winter driving in snow country is as much about strategy as it is defensive driving. I ignored the snow warning the day before, then had to deal with the snow overhang and the long, deep drift I had to wade through to unbury my car. I got needlessly wet and cold, and tracked a lot of snow into my car. Backing into the parking space, I avoid the worst of the problem. 

One further hassle: windshield wipers that freeze to the windshield. I turn my car off before the windshield wipers return to the bottom of the cycle, and the melted snow drains off them instead of pooling around them and freezing. I’m ready for the next snow now! 

🙁

p.s.: Bing never sang wistfully about a “white January”! Of course, he was from Seattle and lived most of his life in Southern California. What did he know about it? 

🙂

p.p.s.: The spaghetti and meatballs tasted great!