OK just a little update I am still alive. Still dealing with the pain & suffering with my right hip (and my tail bone - years ago I fell down the stairs at my parents home getting worse I guess) I can't sit for long periods of time. It's been worse the past few weeks because of the cold we have been in the single digits and below zero for highs. Electic has not been stable (when is it) at least so far it has frozen the water pipes or the gas line.
My youngest is stuck at my parents for the time being. He so wanted to come home I went out to shovel the sidewalk and clean the car off and my mom called on the cell with a road condition report she got from my brother as he works in Elkhart, IN and had just gotten home to feed and water the steers at my parents (just 2) and then he has 2 llama's a pony, 4 goats and chickens to tend to by his place.
It was getting dark when he decided he wanted to come home (mom and I were hoping he'd decide to stay there because of the cold so I wouldn't have to be out shoveling I ended up coming back in and putting a scarf around my face with my hood up on my jacket as it was too cold).
US 12 wasn't the greatest as my brother put it so he said Second Street being a country road would be worse yet. But Pardee Road was basically drifited shut and almost unpassable. But he took the 4x4 pick up in or he wouldn't have gotten through. Then took the tractor with the blade and plowed out his drive and my parents. With any luck I'll be able to make it out there tomorrow after the snow plows make there first (and sometimes only pass). That was the down side of living on the farm being out in the country on roads less traveled the snow plows only make one pass some times two if we were lucky. If you weren't in by 5 pm you wouldn't get home.
At least being in town (the village limits) they do come through 3 times through out the day during the week roads are kept plowed better in town (as I'm sure it is everywhere) But with the Budget cuts and all going on they don't plow or salt as much as they used to years ago. I heard another accident on the Toll Road yesterday so today they had said no big trucks, double trailers or the like were being allowed on the Toll Road as it was too slick. Many slide offs butt only a couple deaths so far this week. I'm thinking people are starting to drive more sensible. School Closings for tomorrow are coming in already!!! But the youngest was already off do to teachers in service or something. Off Monday for MLK day too. Of course the oldest will most likely skip I can't remember how he put it last year but because most schools take the day and it's a federal holiday and the fact that he's not a racist person he was taking the day off also.
OMG my toes are starting to freeze gonna have to get back in the recliner and put the heat pad on my back and cover with a couple of fleece blankets to get warm again. It's times like these I wish I had some male companion to keep me warm. But my faithful companion Nicki (my cocker spaniel) is at my feet now and will hop up on my lap once I move to my recliner.
Gotta, get back on my other game the electric went off before I could save it so I have to start over again from where I was at. I hate it when that happens.
With all the snow that we have had the past couple of weeks I am really hoping we don't have a heat wave as we did last year about now. They are already watching some of the rivers in areas with the ice jams. Last weeks warm up and rain cause part of Cleveland Road just a few miles North of here to wash out where they had just did new asphalt. They brought in several loads of dirt and have filled it but unless they do something like making a concrete wall or using metal slats I'm afraid the next major thaw rain we have it's going to wash the dirt out from under it again.
