I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass
An ice storm landed our way in North Carolina a couple weeks ago. As a New England girl, I was not too worried, and then I remembered I am not in New England, but in the south, where plowing the roads means creating one lane on a two-lane highway, a few days after the fact in the hopes it will simply melt. Personally, I don’t mind being “trapped” in my house because I am capable of entertaining myself with books, writing, good movies, and lots of baking. And I need the break because when I go food shopping before an impending storm, I am met with severe crowds of anxious people who do not know what to do with themselves if they cannot get out and drink at the breweries for two days. They walk past me with arms full of several cartons of half and half, packages of bacon and eggs, and yes, toilet paper. The shelves are bare when all I want is asparagus and broccoli.
Emails from our HOA flew back and forth filled with opinions and ideas and reminders of trimming tree limbs, antifreeze and pets (they don’t mix), dusting walkways with salt, which again, not good for pets (though not my fault if your pet is on my walkway licking the salt), and making sure to check on each other when the temperature drops to 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Actually, a couple days the following week fell to about zero in the morning, which is pretty cold if you run naked to the mailbox. I decided that if we lost power, I’d toss my food outside and put blankets on our pipes, because there is only so much you can do.
Some of the trees and bushes covered in ice during the recent storm.
But this event got me thinking about those who might be new to cold weather, having never experienced snow, ice, and freezing temperatures from wherever they lived. And if they lived in said paradise, why on earth move to where it is cold and freezing? In any case, I compiled a few survival tips:
- Layer yourself with lots of wool socks, a couple winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and earmuffs until you can no longer move your arms. Don’t forget to use the bathroom first because speed may not be your friend and then, well.
- Have several gallons of water on hand in case of power outage so you can bathe (especially after not making it in time with all those layers), brush your teeth, and cook. And if you accidentally leave them outside in your car where they freeze into blocks of ice, well, that’s one cold bath.
- If the walkway looks wet, it’s ice. Don’t be a hero and think you can outwit it by running. All you’ll do is get hurt and someone will send the video to America’s Funniest Home Videos so the rest of us can make fun of you.
- Participate in activities that will help you get warm: exercise, build a birdhouse, and yes, bake. And if you really want to build internal heat, maybe do your taxes.
- On especially cold nights below 10 degrees, trickle your water from the faucets to keep the pipes from freezing. Make sure it’s actually draining so that you don’t wake up to another unpleasant problem. (And you thought the electric and hot water bills were high!)
- Finally, have loads of chocolate, scones, tea, and hot cocoa on hand, with a good movie (if you don’t lose power), and a loved one with which to snuggle. That is, if you can with all those layers on.
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