Thankfully, though snow and ice remain, Winter Storm Fern is, for the most part, behind us. Though I wish it were going to be the last of this season, it looks like another winter weather event may be headed to the Southeast over the next week or so. Early indicators, however, suggest it, unlike the previous storm, will likely be just fluffy white snow - if it even hits at all.
We ended up making it through the storm with power the entire time, thank God. What saved our area, according to local meteorologists, was that we ended up getting more sleet than freezing rain. The thought of us not having heat gave me nightmares ahead of the storm, so it was a relief that after the worst of what we were supposed to get rolled through, the lights and heat were still on at the Toldjah residence.
The South bore the brunt of the power outages, which are ongoing, and there are reports of at least 20 storm-related deaths from Texas on up to Massachusetts.
One thing I learned amid the storm was a whole lot more about generators, indoor power stations, indoor-safe propane heaters, etc. I know I'm not the only one who appreciated the very helpful feedback from RedState readers in the comments to my winter prep article, and I will be putting that newly-acquired knowledge to good use in advance of the next storm.
Another thing I learned (or was inconveniently reminded) is that it's not a good idea to try your luck on slick concrete the day after a winter storm that involved ice accumulation. Because trash/recycle pick up was delayed a day, I thought it'd be a good idea late Monday afternoon to get our indoor trash and recycle items out to the cans, and the cans moved as well, before Tuesday morning, when the area in front of the house that doesn't get much sunlight would be at its slickest.
Though we did have some melting in the front of the house on Monday, some of it had already frozen over again in the shaded areas by the time I got outside, and suffice it to say, I was extremely fortunate that I didn't end up doing a very painful version of a baseball slide right into the side of the house. I wasn't trying to be brave. I really thought I'd be able to do it with no problem. But about halfway through, I was really wishing I hadn't. I had already committed at that point, though, and there was no turning back.
What made it worse was when I came inside, my mom had put on her shoes and was sitting on the edge of her recliner, next to her walker. When I asked what she was doing, she told me she was preparing herself in case she had to come outside to try and rescue me had I fallen. She had previously advised me not to make the trek, but of course, I didn't listen. Now, she was talking about putting herself in danger to help me.
Needless to say, I won't be doing that again, no matter how confident I feel about it ahead of time. Mom needs me. I like living without broken bones. Let's not make a stupid move like that again, okay, Stacey?
Another thing I was reminded of was the kindness of neighbors. There's a man in our 'hood who takes it upon himself to use his tractor and some type of plow attachment to clean up our streets when storms like this happen. He's also been kind enough in the past to clear off as much as he can of Mom and Dad's driveway, which he did on Monday. He wasn't wearing a tiara like Princess Cat, the D.C. snowplow legend, but he got the job done.
READ MORE: You Go, Girl: Tiara-Wearing 'Diva' With Snowplow Takes D.C. Streets by (Winter) Storm
Last but not least, I learned that when the winter storms hit, the birds will come out in full force. It was like Grand Central Station here as the birdies fueled up and stocked up. That was about the only thing good about the storm itself, which was that it brought back the birdies - including Mr. and Ms. C - in a way that we haven't seen here in several months.
Looking forward to reading about everyone's storm experiences in the comments, as well as any additional tips and tricks you may have for making it through these things.
DIVE DEEPER: To check out my previous Caregiver's Diary entries, please click here. Thank you!
