The Big Chill

We don't get snow here much, so you'll have to bear with me. In fact, it's been 13 years since we've had any significant snow.

It all started last week with this:

I'm not even sure what the lowest temperature was this week. This is just what the temperature was when I was out and about one day. Brrr....perfect conditions for some snowy precip.

When it was all said and done, the official count was 7 inches. To those of you that get a lot of snow, this might seem like a wimpy amount. But to us in the mid-south that's a significant amount. In fact this measly 7 inches ranks up in our top 20 snows of ALL time!! The most snow Nashville has ever seen is 16" in 1892. Last night on the news, they counted down the top five snows we've ever had. None of them have been in the last 31 years that we've lived here. Only one of them had even occured since I was born in 1952!

I do recall a 5" snow about 25 years ago when we still lived in Devon Park. The girls and I hiked down to the Potters for a visit and some snow play. We all hiked back to our house, ordered pizza and played games. It was a huge deal---not only because of the snow, but because Connie stayed home from work---gasp!!!

The snow was so heavy that it has bent our trees. I hope there is no damage. Our poor magnolia on the right has already been struggling.

These are our beautiful, perfectly upright, conical shaped foster hollies. When the snow melts, I do hope they bounce back.

I just can't stop staring out the window---it's so beautiful---until it's not! I know that soon, the roadsides will be ugly with brown, melting, slushy snow. But for now, I'm enjoying what's in my own back yard.

 Here's a view from the front porch.

I texted this one to the girls. What's wrong with this picture? See the ladder? The one that Butch used to brush off the satellite dish? I may not be able to predict the weather, but I can pretty much predict that this ladder will be here until late spring/early summer! I know Butch and his procrastinating ways.

Oh wait, I spoke too soon! Butch had to brush off the dish one more time (and maybe once more today). So, the ladder has been moved to a more prominent spot on the patio. I still stand behind my prediction. Of course, he reads my blog, so that might add a little motivation. I'm glad his messy footprints through the snow have been somewhat covered up. I love the pristine-ness of freshly fallen snow. 

Mindy wanted me to post the pictures on Facebook of Butch getting up on the ladder to brush off the dish. I didn't because I wasn't sure he'd take too kindly to that. But we girls think everything he does is so cute! Well, most of the time.

But what was posted on Facebook---by Morgan---was a story about our last big snow. That was 8 inches 13 years ago. 

Mindy was a senior in high school. Morgan and Jordan were in 2nd and 3rd grade. I got the call from school that they were dismissing early---it was only 8:30---they had just barely gotten to school! I got there by 9 a.m. At first it was all fun and games as the line out of the parking lot was moving very slowly. I jumped out of the car, made a snowball and threw it at the girls inside the car! "Oh, grammy! Hahahahaha!" We wouldn't be laughing for long. 

I got a frantic call from Mindy that she was afraid to continue driving. I told her to pull over and that I'd make my way to her. About a half hour later---in what should have been about a one minute drive---just a couple blocks from school (St. Cecilia and Overbook share the same campus), we picked up Mindy. I was happy that we were all together as Mindy had no "snow driving" experience. Growing up, I had lots of it in St. Louis. Even as new, teen drivers, we were allowed to drive in snow---the theory being that we needed to learn. But I digress....

We started inching towards home and I do mean inching. There was no quicker way as the cars were bumper to bumper. I'm still not exactly sure what happened then, but about the time all of the schools were closed, ALL the businesses closed too. So you had that much more traffic on the roads. 

By the time we reached Hillsboro Rd---4 hours later---which normally is about 15-20 minutes, Jordan had to go to the bathroom. Since we were mostly at a dead stop, we decided that we'd open both doors on the passenger side so she could step out and "go." She was mortified and couldn't perform---if you know what I mean. She got back in the car and started to cry. When the pain got too bad, I yelled, "Mindy, give me your sweatshirt!" She looked at me in horror and cried, "Mom, it's my SENIOR sweatshirt!" I insisted that we had no other sacrifice for the cause. We bunched it up and I think you can figure out the rest. Jordan definitely knows how to spell relief!

Everyone was hungry. We found a snack size bag of M&M's. Jokingly, we decided to ration them. It was a time before water bottles, so we didn't have any drinks. Continuing to inch along towards home, I told the girls that we could have already been to St. Louis by now---a mere 5.5 hour drive.

When we were finally about a half mile from home, we abandoned the car and started to walk. We reached the entrance to the neighborhood which was at the top of a hill. As we started down, I slipped, fell (remember, I've always been a faller) and lost my "water." The girls thought it was hysterical that I "peed my pants!"

Come to think of it, with that story, why would I ever want a big snow again? Because, no matter what, we made some fond, or not so fond memories! At least the girls will never forget it---the story of "The Big Chill" 2003!

And that's it---3 decent snows in 31 years! I'll take it!