Slight Detour: The Big Snow Blow -- Feb. 2018

It's ten degrees and stunningly gorgeous outside. I love days like today and don't even mind the cold, as long as the wind doesn't blow.

The wind blew yesterday, and snow landed all over the place. For much of the day, going outside took some forethought, and once the decision was made, it took some warmer clothing.

I do own a water proof, Western-style jacket, which I swear weighs 30 pounds. It hangs in the closet most of the year except for during single digit and below weather.

I love saving it for such days because of how warm my upper body feels while wearing the coat outside. The difference from when I wear other multiple layers is dramatic.

So, I wore that jacket yesterday, with snow pants over my jeans and extra covering over my ears. That strategy allowed me to actually enjoy being outside, albeit limited.

You see my leather gloves have a hole in the right index finger, and when that finger stays out in the cold too long, it starts getting numb.

So, I did take one trip to town to buy some new gloves and to pick up some potting soil and some new seed trays and pots.

A few more flower seeds and a bag of bulbs (to be planted when the ground isn't cement) joined the items in my cart. I paid for my stuff and then headed out the door of Home Depot.

Remembering how slick certain spots were in the parking lot, I planned my trip back to the car carefully, and at one point even had to turn the cart around and drag it through a section of newly packed snow.

How many have had that experience with a cart full of groceries in a parking lot filled with new snow? Not fun nor is it easy.

Anywho, I eventually got through the snow pack and on to just pavement with sneaky ice patches.

I was feeling pretty good about my progress toward the car when, suddenly, two of the plastic planting pots (which had been attached to their other ten friends) blew out of my cart and headed toward Wal-Mart, which is a big parking lot and a busy street away.

Pushing my cart toward the car and parking it against the back door, I carefully scooted off across the parking lot to retrieve the pots.

First, they landed in their respective areas. As I got closer, however, both flitted off again, bouncing across the pavement, remaining on their southward route.

That's when I transitioned into a slow trot, still watching for ice patches but keeping focused on where those pots were going.

Suddenly one flew over the berm into the next part of the lot. Apparently, it wanted to go to Columbia Bank and withdraw some cash.

The other just kept on bouncing. Its bouncing was always timed to coordinate with my close approach.

I began to chuckle and began wondering if anyone sitting in a car watching the crazy lady in the cold wind, chasing a piece of plastic.

Civic duty to avoid leaving litter kept me moving. Eventually, I was able to outrun the pot and use my body to shield it from getting over to Wal-Mart. During this time, the other pot disappeared from my sight.

By the time I bent over and had picked up the pot, I was laughing out loud.

My laughing ceased, though, while walking back to the car to suddenly see the entire tray with its ten remaining pots come flying RIGHT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER CAR which had just pulled into the lot.

It all happened so fast I couldn't see if the plastic projectile, loaded with extra pots actually hit the guy's wind shield.

Again, my gait hastened as I headed over to do more damage control. The stranger got out of his car and gathered up the tray and pots and then saw me.

"Is this yours?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, "I was over here retrieving this one that blew away.

What a gentleman! He not only smiled but also took the tray back to my car and helped me unload my cart into the safety of the back seat where no wind would blow it away again, at least until I arrived home.

Turns out this nice man is a newly retired Alaskan State trooper who has moved to Bonners Ferry. He also told me, very enthusiastically about Ozone---even going back to his car to provide me a hand-out with telephone numbers and websites to check out.

Seems Ozone takes care of most anything that ails you; whereas when he asked me if I had heard of Ozone, I wasn't quite sure what I should say, given this high-charged political world we live in.

Finally, I said, "Yes, I know what the Ozone is."

Silly me. I guess I didn't. So far, I haven't had time to look up much information about the Ozone "machine," but I'm sure with all these cold temps, I can find the time.

Anyway, this "happening" in the Home Depot parking lot on a cold Sunday in February pretty much fits the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" category, much like the story about the Russian athlete who allegedly did doping to become a more competitive curler in the Olympics.

And, then this morning, I learned that Oprah is insecure . . . . Interesting world we live in.

Meanwhile, back at home, I put seeds in pots while tuning in to some Olympic action. Later, when the wind died down, Bill did a snow blowing session, which I found rather artistic.

And, so the BIG SNOW BLOW for February, 2018, has come and gone-----we hope.

I'm not so sure, however, about the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" epidemic.

If it gets worse and turns into a pandemic, maybe I'll have to invest in my own Ozone machine, cuz according to my new friend, it's a cure all for most anything.

Happy Monday. For all in our frigid zone, stay warm. Enjoy the photos.