Let it snow! - But stay safe when driving.

We had a storm yesterday. Got home in the dusk to a drifted driveway and windswept fields, and made it inside the house just as the freezing rain started to fall, turning everything glacial.

I could have skated across the yard.

The dog had icicles on her whiskers.

Those who live in warmer climes where this doesn't happen - good decision!

Fellow northerners, it's time to rethink what we carry in our cars.

I could easily have got stranded last night. If not then, today, during the perilous drive to work on ice-encrusted roads. And if/when that happens you need to have supplies. Not just the usual snow scraper/shovel/booster cable/first aid kit either.

This is what I put in my car this morning (I had a spare 20 minutes while waiting for the defroster to actually get the inch thick layer of ice off the front and side windows):

• blankets;
• flashlight with extra batteries;
• knife;
• high-calorie, non-perishable food;
• extra clothing to keep dry (including hat, socks and mitts, not gloves);
• sack of sand (or cat litter);
• tow rope;
• water container with water;
• brightly colored cloth to use as a flag;
• keep your gas tank near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.

And one more thing - keep your car filled with gas.

Other Works for Me posts of a sunnier and happier nature can be found at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2008/12/works-for-me-si.html