Blizzard of 2017

Less than six days ago, we had yet to have a killing frost, and our high last Tuesday was 79 degrees.  We watched the evening news on Wednesday as they reported on snow down in Big Bend National Park.  I made a comment about how pretty it would be with all that snow.  Little did I know what we had in store.


Thursday evening the local weather mentioned that we were under a winter storm advisory, and might get a dusting of snow, though the odds were slim.  After all, we live in the Deep South, Heart of Dixie, just a hundred miles North of New Orleans.  After watching the Saints go down to defeat to Atlanta around 10 PM, I looked outside to a mixture of sleet and light rain.


Friday morning, we were awakened by the sound of what I first thought were gunshots.  In reality it was the sound of limbs breaking off pine trees.  This is what we found outside. It was a black and white world for the most part.

















Less than thirty minutes after getting up, our power went out.  No heat, with the temperature hovering right at 32*.





There was about five inches of a heavy, wet, snow on the ground, and it was still snowing.  The blue dog wasn’t impressed.








My old J. C. Higgins bicycle.  Purchased from MGM studios back in the seventies at a prop department auction.  Now it’s only yard art.





Thankfully, we have a furnace in the Casita, as well as a couple of generators.  A Honda 2000 for the Casita, and another which we purchased during Katrina.  It supplies power for our well pump, as well as our refrigerators and freezer.  With reports of large areas losing power as the day went on, we made plans to move into the Casita for the night.  By the time it stopped snowing, there was over seven inches on the ground, and it was “cold”.


Saturday dawned clear, and colder.  Still without power.





We fixed a little breakfast in the trailer, and then talked about what to do.  A Casita gets really small after a few hours.  Wanda asked why don’t we set up the Clam in your shop, and get out the propane campfire?  A great idea.  It’s amazing how the screen will hold in heat as long as there isn’t any wind; and the roof doesn’t get too warm.  That’s what we did.  Sally thought it was a wonderful idea.





We spent the day between the Clam and the Casita.  Catching a nap or two, and trying to get updates on the power restoration.   We spent another night in the Casita, and when I woke Sunday morning, I heard a vehicle backup alarm.  A crew from out of state was clearing the lines of tree limbs, and it wasn’t long before our power was restored.  We were without for about fifty hours.  You don’t miss it until it’s not available.  It sure was nice to get back inside a warm house.


Today, Monday, it’s almost gone.   Still a bit on parts of the roof, even though it hit seventy degrees again today.



I’ve lots of limbs to be cleaned up, but overall we did well.  Todays newspaper reported some folks are still without power.  Our unexpected blizzard of 2017 will be the subject of many a conversation over the next few months, or years….jc