Here we are beginning December! We received the first snow of the winter here, and the “coffee shop wisdom” we share reminded me of the old saying: whatever day of the month you receive the first snow, you will have that many snows after. That could mean 28 or 29, which would mean a lot of snow.
Yesterday I drove slowly to town, and the road was OK.
When I came home, the snow had begun to melt on the blacktop, Driving slow again, I met a pickup with a snow plow on the front and thought I would give him plenty of room. I did, but when I moved over the tires of the car were on the edge where the ground wasn’t frozen underneath. You guessed it. I slowly slid into the ditch.
There was no backing out. There was no traction to get on the snow-packed slippery road. Thank heaven for the driver of the pickup. He saw what happened and backed up to see if he could pull me out, and he did! He said he thought he could put a chain on the back and pull it if it was OK with me. I didn’t get his name, but when I offered to pay him, he wouldn’t take it. It wasn’t his fault I slid, but he was so kind to watch and be sure I was OK.
I continued my trip home, and doggoned if a car came up behind me and passed going at a high speed. He or she must be a better driver than I, because neither one of us ended up in the ditch. By late afternoon the blacktop was clear of most of the icy snow.
I’ve been putting up Christmas decorations, and thinking of past “silly” gifts. One year everyone got one of those glow sticks after opening presents. We turned out the lights, and the kids especially liked the effect. Let’s see, there was an ugly scarf given to a new member of the family, a fake set of binoculars made of two empty cardboard toilet rolls taped together, a small (new) chicken feeder with money in it as “chicken feed,” always something with a cat for granddaughter Leigh (she doesn’t like cats...scared when she was little), and I have opened an ugly set of salt and pepper shakers, and sometimes I open a “gift” that was from our house.
There are wonderful gifts too, but the best of all is just being together. However, be warned. I’m on the lookout year-round at the Crossing and Goodwill or backyard sales. Beware.
Grain prices are better than they were, cattle prices have rebounded and decisions are being made whether to sell all the heifers as “feeders” or keep a few of the best to put back and become part of the breeding herd. Cattle numbers are way down nationwide, and herds have to rebuild at sometime or you will find your beef all coming from foreign countries.
Then the nation is at the “mercy” of pricing, control of disease, and a country not self-sufficient. I don’t like that idea. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Be careful out there! 28 or 29 snows? No thank you.
Sharon Chenoweth is a resident and farmer of McDonough County. Her column focuses on rural life and will be featured every other week in the Community News Brief Friday Edition.
