Friday, March 13, 2020

Snow week

On this day in 1993, we had the deepest snow on the ground that we've had since the state began keeping records.

I was at work that morning, and Jilda kept calling to tell me what was coming. I thought she was exaggerating, but when my shift ended, I headed out. Had I waited for another half hour, I would have been trapped on the Interstate.

When the white stuff stopped falling, Birmingham had 13 inches. Empire is north of Birmingham, and I can tell you we had more snow than that.

We lost power during the night, and they didn't come back on for almost a week. Today that would be aggravating, but in 1993 it was a problem. Our house was totally electric. Electric lights, stove, and furnace. The water froze, and the batteries that boost the signals for our landline phones died, so we didn't have phone service either.

Fortunately, Jilda's brother, who lives next door, had propane heat and a gas range. Thanks to him, we had food to eat.

We stayed here, but we were bundled in layers of clothes and wrapped in quilts.

When the sun finally came out, Jilda and I went to the garden door and laid down on the floor to let the warm sun fall on our bodies.  I had ice crystals in my beard, and neither of us had bathed since the power went off. We looked like homeless people.

As soon as the power came back on and the roads cleared, we went to the local propane place and bought a gas fireplace, space heaters, and a gas range.

We haven't had snow that deep again, but we're prepared if we do.



8 comments:

  1. How quickly we forget that electricity is a luxury. Something my parents knew, as I suspect yours did.

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  2. No electric after Sandy for 9 days, but we had gas for hot water, a fire place and stove so we were clean, fed and reasonably warm. Also we weren't house bound, so not near as bad as you had. Of course, not TV and internet was almost unbearable!

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  3. 😊 snow... we didn't much this year!

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  4. You have to admit, that was some good times though.
    Lisa

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  5. It's funny but I was just looking at pictures from past years on this date and many of them did have snow in them. Often we get a good snow for St. Patrick's day and it is getting close. Although it is warmer here this week, I'm wondering if another snow might still be in our future. I do have a gas range and am happy that if it comes down to it, I'll be able to make some piping warm hot soup. Instead of snow days off school, the kids are have virus days off school this year. I wonder if they'll need to make them up.

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  6. Dear Rick, you describe this all so well. I can see you and Jilda lying in the warmth of the sun and vowing, "this will never happen again! we'll be prepared!" It was 1993 or a year earlier, when I was living in Stillwater, MN, that we had a three-day snow/blizzard and ended up with 36 inches. I was so grateful for my neighbors who used their large snowblowers to take care of my sidewalk and driveway. That blizzard made us realize that we were One in our experience. I so hope the coronavirus does the same for our country. Peace.

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  7. That year we too had the most snow I have seen in my 80+ years. We didn't have it that bad, but it was wild, the kids loved it. LOL
    But I can imagine out in the country losing power makes life touchy!
    Take care and enjoy this springtime.
    Sherry & jack

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  8. Snow? What is this thing you call snow?

    Love,
    Janie

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