Done, done and done

 It is official, I am a senior.  I am about to devote an entire blog to the weather.  I feel I need an opportunity to say I am done with Colorado Lows, I am done with bad roads, and I am done with having to plan every move around the weather.  Last I checked it was only early November, and I am simply annoyed and frustrated already.   

It started in late summer when people would say "they say it is going to be a long cold winter".  Who is they and how do they know. I shouldn't be complaining about the weather again, because I have already had a go at it in my Mother Nature post, but the bad weather has forced me into more writing.  My annual preparation for winter, which by the way started a month ago, is to get my winter tires put on, which I did just the other day. Yep, I literally slid my way to the dealership with my summer tires, because we had an overnight wet snow/ice storm. Can I just say I love my winter tires and is certainly money well spent. In the city it means if you pull up to a stop sign you actually stop. 

I realize that since my stay in Swift Current that I have accumulated several Facebook sites which let me know about the weather conditions from Winnipeg to all across Saskatchewan.  Right now, the feeds are covered with pictures of icy roads.  It is followed by the writer explaining how many extra hours it took them to get home and how many semis and other vehicles were in the ditch during that trip.  What part of that says it was safe to be on the road?  Clearly, roads have to be closed in order for people not to be on them.  From what I witnessed in October that only works for some, others will only find a road that goes around the closed area.  

I have noticed an extreme amount of criticism about the poor maintenance to the roads during a storm.  Comments indicate that the Department of highways need to be plowing and putting sand on the roads quicker than they are.  This would mean that people could continue with their regular traveling activities in a safer manner during a storm, I assume.  It does seem that you don't see plows and ice trucks out like you used to.  Number 1 highway to me should be tended to, simply because people won't stay off of it.  I know after my Swift Current visit, I came away wishing they would have closed the highways, did a good job of cleared them then let traffic back on.  

I always believed that to enjoy winter you had to have a winter sport or an activity that makes you look forward to winter.  I don't have summer sports or activities the chances of having a winter one is highly unlikely.  I do have lots of memories driving the kids to their winter activities.  An event in a rink was definitely a case of "must be" on the roads.  There were many times we should have stayed home but never did.  The memory of my most terrifying driving experience for hockey was a trip to Arcola. I was driving with another mom and three boys in the back.  We took off for Arcola in not bad weather, but it soon was storming so bad we totally missed the town, we couldn't see the lights nor the town sign.  Somehow, we made it to the rink and the local men were sitting there drinking coffee and said "oh, you came, didn't know if you would with the storm?".  How do you even begin to answer that.  Proceeded with the game and back out on the road.  I was responsible to stay on the right side of the yellow line and the two feet I could see in front of my vehicle; the other mom took care of telling me if I got to close to the white line.  In the history of Saskatchewan Minor Hockey, I am pretty sure they never ever cancelled a game and I guess because it all ended well, why would they.        

That was long before we had phones that told us what the weather was like, road updates and everything you needed to travel safely or stay put.  So why is it that during bad weather Facebook is covered with pictures of semi's sideways on the highway or in the ditch.  The many vehicle pile ups are another common picture to share.  Of course, once one vehicle goes into the ditch there is a scattering of other vehicles that go with them.  I do understand for truckers that you have to drive to survive.  Literally, survive in some cases.  I feel for the rescue units that have to deal with people that drive in poor conditions, which puts their lives and others including the rescue workers at risk.   

I learned my lesson in October not to try and outrun a storm.  It will get you anyway.  Really, I don't need to be out in a storm especially on icy roads.  Does anyone? Anything, I need to do, or attend can be done in the next 3 months.  I feel I am a cautious driver, but I lack the trust in other drivers as they swoop by me, in some kind of crazy rush.  I used to tuck myself behind a semi if road conditions were bad.  I just don't feel comfortable doing that anymore.  The makeup of a truck driver has changed, and I am sad to say I don't rely on them the same as I used to.  

So, in my retirement I have become so much wiser. I have decided I will make a long list of things to do this winter.  I will enjoy the fact I don't have to be out in the bad weather.  I will engage in conversation about the weather to other seniors and watch as the thermometer drops or rises.  One thing I know for sure, it will be windy, that we can count on to complain about.  It is interesting to watch how much the wind can drop the temperature indicated by the WC factor.  Oh, my goodness, "they" are half right it is going to be a long winter, hopefully not a cold one.  Stay safe everyone and stay home if it is bad weather or roads.   

My winter projects: knitting, puzzles and reading