Rantings and Ravings

By Sun Advocate

So we have survived our first major winter storm of the season. I am finally getting to writing this on Sunday because I just can’t seem to write when it’s snowing.
I’m like a little kid and can just stand and watch it fall for hours. Then I go out and shovel, come in and drink hot chocolate and do it all over again.
But now that it’s stopped I have to get back into regular life again. That means going out to the store and other stuff. I started to run to get groceries on Sunday and thought since I was just going to the store and back I could get away with tennis shoes and a jacket.
Then I watched a car slide crazily down our street and changed shoes and grabbed my winter coat. I made it to the store and back without incident, but in this weather you never know. I remind everyone it is the season to always be prepared whenever you go out.
If you slide off the road or get stuck and are not dressed for outside weather, you may find yourself in much more trouble than you anticipated.
Oh I know snow shoes can be ugly. Coats are often bulky and uncomfortable to drive in. But if you don’t wear them, at least have them in the car (not the trunk) where you can access them in a hurry if needed, it can be a problem.
If you drive at all where you may be off the road and in an area not within walking distance of a house make sure you have supplies in your car to keep you alive for a period of time. A blanket, flares, energy bars and water can make the difference in your survival.
For all who think they cannot live a minute if they are not talking on their cell phone, please rethink this when driving on snow packed and icy roads. That small moment of distraction that you might have been able to get away with in the summer, may cost you dearly now.
Approach each green light like it is going to turn red. And if a car slows or stops in front of you, don’t go around them unless you know the reason why they stopped. A neighbor of mine relayed a story about her stopping at a crosswalk to let two elementary kids cross the other day. She had two other cars swerve around her, almost hitting the girls in the cross walk. In snowy conditions, people crossing the roads can also slip and fall, so extra time may be needed to make sure they are clear and safe before preceding through an intersection.
And remember that four -wheel drive may get you started faster, but it won’t stop you any faster. I know, it have tried it. Nothing is scarier than standing on the brakes as you sail into an intersection.
So as the cop show watch captain used to say at the start of every shift, “Let’s be careful out there.”