Trapped Again

I made it to town just fine yesterday. The snow was light, and had just started adhering to bridges. The roads were okay. I got a wet head because I don't have a jacket with a hood. I had to drive through the Gas Station Chicken Store parking lot, because a handicap car was in my rightful space, and a FREE AIR guzzler was in the other space. I'm not walking across the lot from the moat in freezing wind and snowfall!

First I went over to Casey's, where my space was available. I should have saved myself the trouble, because none of their tickets won. The GSCS paid back $10. And the Liquor Store gave me $25. I'm glad I didn't walk out. I waited 15 minutes for those winners!

Two women had entered as I was hobbling along the front of the Liquor Store. They had driven onto the lot, parked, and made it inside just ahead of me. I hoped they were shopping the aisles, or playing the fake slot machines. But no. They had just bellied up to the checkout. Fair and square, but I was not happy to cool my knees in line while the snow was coming down harder.

First Gal wanted smokes. The guy clerk had to go look for them. They were making small talk about her Thanksgiving. She had some kind of drink that was really good. It was in orange juice, but she couldn't taste the liquor. Which seems that she must really like orange juice, since she raved about how good that drink was. She had her customer number memorized. I think there's some kind of bonus benefits for that. She took her stuff and left.

Second Gal wanted cigarettes. A large Sprite with 3/4 ice. They have some special kind of soda here, that people are always coming in for. Since the fake slot machines now take up the wall where the soda fountain was, the clerks have to go make the soda from the one by the drive-thru window. THEN she wanted some little whiskey shooters. The clerk told her it would be cheaper to just buy a bottle.

"Oh, I'm not that kind of drinker."

Second Gal wanted five of them. I'm pretty sure she was going to share with First Gal, saying that she just THOUGHT she didn't want any after her Thanksgiving bender. I think they were headed for some kind of party/get-together, from what I heard on their way in. 

Anyhoo... then she paid with her card, but it was rejected for not being inserted fully. I was glad she FINALLY left, even though she was friendly and telling me about the weather while the clerk was getting her soda. I'm pretty sure a couple of those shooters got poured right in the minute she got to the car.

I made it home fine. More snow/ice came later. All the schools called off for Tuesday. So I didn't get out. The high temperature was 26 degrees. With clouds all day. The main roads were probably fine, but I can't stand the cold. 

Farmer H got scratchers for me. We'll see how they turn out.

Dang Forecasters

Such a career! These news "meteorologists" dress up nice and go on camera and tell us based on their scientific knowledge and unlimited electronical gewgaws WHEN we are getting snow, and HOW MUCH there will be in our area. POPPYCOCK! The Farmer's Almanac could probably forecast just as well!

How in the NOT-HEAVEN is Mrs. HM supposed to plan her day?

I checked the news Monday morning, because I'd seen online that snow was in our forecast again. I watched at 5:48 AM, and again at 7:00. Hillmomba would be okay until around 8:00 PM. I was a little worried about Farmer H coming home from an auction. But it would just be starting, and we were only in the trace/1 inch band.

At 11:00, I looked again, to be sure. I was planning my town trip for 2:30. Nothing to worry about, said the meteorologist. Some schools in the county above us were dismissing early. The radar showed that we were getting snow. She even showed the radar. "It looks like we're getting snow, but we're not. It's still to the northwest. The air is so dry that this is not reaching the ground. I just stuck my head out, and there's nothing." 

I went to the kitchen to wash some of the leftover dishes. I had cut the turkey off the thighs and wings earlier, to freeze with the white meat, for a future turkey pot pie. The night before, I had frozen some "vinchtables," and the green beans. Farmer H finished off the deviled eggs, and the hash brown potatoes. He didn't want the rest of the stuffing. So I had those containers as well.

WHAT'S THIS???

I glanced out the window, and saw SNOW! I'm pretty sure it was reaching the ground. That would explain the white coating.

It's 12:30 now. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to town. I can put off my shower and innernetting until I get back home. None of the schools around here have called off early. 

Whoopsie! Farmer H just called and said the auction is cancelled. He SAID the schools are calling off, but I find no evidence of that on the closings list. 

GOTTA GO!

Suddenly, I'm More Persuasive Than Usual

During the frigid weather and windy snow on Saturday, I looked out the laundry room door window, and saw ICE covering my little Jack's water bowl! It wasn't solid yet. A cracked layer on top. The thing is, it's a HEATED water bowl! And it was plugged in.

There had been two heated water bowls. Unplugged, for summer. When we got Lucky (the still missing rescue dog), I told Farmer H to take one of the water bowls out to his house. That's because Farmer H said that on one day, Lucky had stepped in his water bowl and turned it over. These have sloped sides. Not easy to tip over. Even when Pupsie (the still missing dog Scarlett [the happily re-adopted Australian Shepherd] had stolen and brought home) used to dig all the water out with her paws.

Anyhoo... I told Farmer H in a text. He replied that he'd have to take a look at it and see why it wasn't working! Well. That would do my little Jack no good when he was thirsty! The fake fish pond has had ice on it for a few days, never thawing during the day in the shade. So he couldn't drink there.

Also, I'd been telling Farmer H to put more cedar shavings in the doghouse outside the kitchen door. It used to belong to my Sweet, Sweet Juno. But both The Pony and Farmer H said they'd seen Jack come out of it. He used to prefer sleeping in the haybales over on Shackytown Boulevard during cold weather. Maybe he wants to stay closer to us, now that his companions are gone.

Anyhoo... Farmer H had been putting me off. Saying, "I'm pretty sure I have part of a bag in the garage." Yet he never brought any out.

I told him by text:

"Please get cedar shavings and a water bowl! I'm worried about Jack in the cold."

AND HE DID!!!

On the way home Saturday, Farmer H stopped by Rural King, and indeed came home with a bag of cedar shavings, and a new heated water bowl.

I wish I knew how to be that persuasive all the time! I think Farmer H might feel a bit of guilt for not yet getting me another dog.