Southerners and Snow

The South is not accustomed to snow storms.  My husband, a transplanted Yankee, loves to make the remark:  “Southerners do not know how to drive in the snow.” I do consider that a true statement!  I, myself, have been snowed in for several days, now, and dare not venture out in that winter wonderland of ice.  Instead, I have used this alone time to clean, tackle little projects, cook cornbread (in my great grandmother’s skillet) and vegetable soup, clean out the refrigerator and experiment cooking with leftovers! I do keep myself busy! Our home, situated on a cliff overlooking a river has a beautiful panoramic view, no matter the season, but I have learned via trial and error, that to try to drive over and through the ravines from that location in order to reach a “salted” road is hazardous and extremely detrimental to my health. Many years ago, our county was hit by an ice storm.  Power lines snapped, yet, we were expected to go into work.  So, I cranked up old “Bubba,” the ’89 Ford Ranger, and proceeded to drive down the shaded one mile gravel road that connects to a country paved road.  Everything was all right until I reached the top of the ravine that has an 80 foot drop down one side into a feeder stream to the river.  A solid covering of “black” ice temporarily daunted my reserve, but upon remembering my husband’s instructions, I put the truck into 4 wheel drive and began the descent.  About half way up the other side, Bubba began to slide, sideways (cattywampus-like) toward the edge of the 80 foot drop. Every time I tried to go forward, Bubba kept sliding backwards toward the edge of that cliff.    Thank you, Jesus, for cell phones!  However, no neighbors answered my desperate calls for help while I sat and slowly slid, but my husband, a trucker and certified CDL and HazMat driver, who was stuck miles away up in Ohio’s snow storm, gave me my next piece of important advice:  “Put the truck in park; pull the emergency break;  get out!”