There are icicles hanging from the eaves, ice coated branches of the photinia “hedge” (approx. 16′-18′ high) and tea-rose bending to the ground and two ice-clad cars in front of my house! Borrowing a phrase from my daughter’s blog, the weather is crap-tacular!
Have we moved to Washington State or Ohio since my last post? Nope – unfortunately, this report is coming to you from good ol’ San Antonio, Texas- home of the nation’s largest number of drivers who cannot even grasp the simple ,oft-proven concept that streets become slippery-when-wet!! What do you get when you mix that sort of driver with the freezing rain, frozen-over side roads and over-passes and still-falling ice pellets we are *enjoying* in Austin, San Antonio and a broad band of destinations in between? A nightmare scenario for anyone who cannot choose to stay off the roads (possibly thru Thursday, according to current reports), and Stress Plus for mothers of those on-the-move!
On this (my 5th or 6th edit), I shall try to keep this short(er) and succint:
Mid-morning, yesterday, weather reports and driving conditions began to agree- -things were bad and were going to get worse for a swath of Texas including an area north of Austin and extending south of San Antonio. Easy Solution – sent a text message to our son, living in Austin and planning to travel down and join us for a delayed celebration of my birthday. . salient point – “weather awful-stay put-we’ll celebrate later.” Solution shot down – he was due in one of the San Antonio stores this morning; no choice but to brave it! Before I could send the same practical (O.K.-paranoid) to our daughter, she arrived at our house around noon,only somewhat wired from mixing with the slip-n-slide crowd. By evening, the weather and the reports are getting worse. Son is here after a fairly nasty drive, daughter and her unborn child are here and safe, we’re fed and warm, and even son-in-law thinks remaining here overnight is safest.
Fast forward to today: TX Dot, KSAT-TV and a look out the window show icicles on everything, 1/4″-1/2″ of ice on the vehicles, sleet, ice pellets piling up on the lawns and sidewalk, plus reports of snow already falling in Austin and the Hill Country. Son has to negotiate a cross-town drive on side streets and prayer; frustrated daughter finds herself housebound. . .and not even in her own house!
Mom’s are hard-wired to worry about their children and extended family. Well, this Mom is, anyway! By the time I was advised (in a clipped, cool tone) that “people do drive on ice, you know”, my stress-meter was clicking like a geiger-counter. (Yes, of course they do- – -and when they are surrounded by other drivers who also know how to drive on ice, they and their vehicles have a pretty fair chance of arriving safely at their destinations!)
I am pleased to note that A- Daughter was ferried safely home by her husband (we’ll reunite her with her car when this storm clears), B-Son is safely housed in a hotel nearby the store he will have to return to tomorrow, and C- I did not allow my Irish temper to mix with stress and create a explosion which would have removed every icicle from our house!
Hi, Christy! Glad all concerned are safe and warm. L.A.’s been cold but dry. Can you imagine L.A. drivers coping with snow?
Sent you a birthday e-card, which apparently you didn’t get. Please take the thought for the deed.
Best,
Jerry H.
It’s the kind of weather that reminds you of Winter in New England. Not long for, just reminds you.
Hi, Christy,
Just testing the system …