Groundwaters

Holiday Greetings

December 17, 2008 on 6:33 pm | In Pat's Journal | No Comments

December 17, 2008

What a beautiful week this has been for those of us lucky enough to be able to stay at home and enjoy our winter wonderland! But, for those who can’t, it’s been a treacherous, cold existence… especially those of you who have been out of power and have no alternate heat source. I’ve been fortunate to stay inside our warm cozy home where I have stockpiled enough food and water to last for several days. My husband Jim has had to continue life as normal, opening up our small country store in Lorane so that others can replenish their supplies without having to make long trips into town. He and our daughters have been breaking the ice on water tanks for our cows and horses and making sure that they all have plenty of hay to keep them satisfied. The livestock all have shelter in our barns and forested property where they can snuggle down if they want. Our three cats and three dogs keep me company in the house most of the day. The cold has acerbated the arthritis in the joints of our elderly Border Collie, Kelsey, so when she needs to go outside, we help her to navigate our front porch stairs… in fact, she’s come to expect it. Yesterday, our two canine “boys,” Shortie and Outlaw, went with me on a hike up the road where we live. It winds through beautiful farm and forest land to the top of the hill. The views of the valley and the still-pristine snow make it a gorgeous walk and invigorated us. I even baked cookies when I got home… a rare occurrence now that Jim is diabetic and I am trying to avoid such treats as much as possible. (I don’t pay fees to Curves each month for nothin’!

The snow has its drawbacks, too. Hopefully, the roads will have cleared enough in the next few days so that I can finish my Christmas shopping. I still have almost all of mine to do. But, hey! I’m not going to try to compete with other traffic on the roads right now. I’m a pretty good snow-driver, but the danger is in trying to avoid other drivers who aren’t. And, regardless of how carefully you drive, sometimes things just “happen.” Jim and I were in a pretty serious car accident several years ago while traveling to my mother’s house in Redmond. The pass had no snow on it, but tiny, light flakes began to float lazily down as we were ascending the pass. We were in a line of about three or four cars, all separated by at least two car-lengths and traveling about 40 miles per hour when our car, as we rounded a curve, would not pull out of it. We had hit a patch of black ice and the car, despite having fairly new snow tires, continued in a circle as it slid into the on-coming lane. We were T-boned by a small pickup coming in the opposite direction. It hit the driver’s side door and Jim sustained some internal injuries that kept him in the Bend hospital for five days. Fortunately, the other driver and I were unhurt. Since then, I don’t drive on ice or snow unless I absolutely have to.

I want to wish our readers a very Merry Christmas! For those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas, let me wish you “Happy Holidays” whether they be Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice or others of which I am unfamiliar. May you all have a Happy New Year and may we all join hands and hearts in working towards a better economy in 2009.