After a very mild start to winter, we are finally getting hit with snow and cold. A couple weeks ago we got a foot or so of snow at our home on the ridge tops, and 7 inches or so down in town, along the banks of the Ohio River.
That is generally the story. Less snow in town. More on the ridges. This past week was a perfect example.
We left town around 4 pm. There was maybe an inch of snow. The streets were clean. It had snowed all day, but didn't really stick.
The picture above is a mile or so out of town. Not all that far in miles, but elevation is the story here. Moundsville is down in the valley, right along the river. If you stand in the middle of town, you can look in any direction and see the hills of the surrounding ridges.
Where the "ridge runners" live.
That would be us.
When I posted these photos on my Facebook page, a friend of mine left this comment about the above photo - "oh no way!!!!"
Can you guess that she lives down in town?
We left the main road you saw in the above photos, and started back our dirt road. Oh yeah.
Definitely deeper.
These are the tracks from our turn into our driveway. Or should I say our spin into our driveway. I should point out that I was not driving when I took these photos. I was safely in the passenger seat, while George drove. And let out a "wheeee!" sound as we spun up the driveway.
Why do guys think it's so fun to slide?
It rather terrifies me.
At home we had 7 inches of snow. We had traveled 6 miles to another world.
I started shoveling, and discovered that some places had a half inch sheet of ice under the snow. Not a fan of ice! Nor is George, despite his glee at sliding into the driveway.
Many times, it's hard for people in town who never venture out into the country to understand when school gets cancelled. Or people call off work. Or are late if they attempt the trip.
Once in a while, the opposite problem happens. I remember driving to town one day in the rain. As I started down the hill into town, I noticed the car coming up was creeping. I will always be thankful for that car, because it was the warning. It was warmer up on the ridge, and it was just rain. But as the elevation dropped into town, the temps did too. I slowed down, and crept down the hill. At the bottom, I saw a car in the guard rail. I met the salt truck who was just turning to go up the hill. I crept the rest of the way to town, put a sign up that said CLOSED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS on my store, and gingerly walked across the black ice to the mailbox. I then got back in the car, and headed for home before it got any worse. And while the salt from the salt truck was still fresh and working it's magic.
It never did freeze on the hills that day. But town was a black ice skating rink.
Winter.
Gotta love it.
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