Ice Storms Of Years past

I'm up in the Memphis area this weekend and the whole area is in a panic about the impending ice storm of 2013.  Its all over the news, there has been panic buying in all the stores.  Schools closed before daybreak, sending parents into panic mode.

I have learned through the years to have: a generator, plenty of gasoline, money if the registers are down, and plenty of propane for the most important thing of all, GRILLING!

Growing up, when we would lose power, my momma would say ”now don't be opening up that frig or freezer, because you are going to let all the cold air out!”  nothing went sour or melted back in those days.

Growing up in Belzoni during my preteen years we would get all bundled up and walk to the Indian mound to slide down the only hill for miles on our trusty ole sled.  Somebody would show up with one of those old coke bottle cap signs, and we would load it up and down the hill we would go!  Clear across the street, over the curb, and into somebody's yard.  Back then, nobody got hurt.

One time we got together with our older friend Archie Waid, and get in his dune buggy and head to Glendale for some "behind the car snow sledding"!  Us younger kids had the time of our lives watching the older ones skid this way and that, dodging parked cars and trees.  Back then, nobody ever got hurt, except when some of the parents found out!


As a young married adult, we were still having fun.  One winter day, the whole Jackson Metro area was shut down by a massive ice storm.  The spousal unit worked night and was catching a ride homes with a Doctor that had a four wheel drive scout that he used for duck hunting.

  The power eventually went out, i had built a fire,so all neighbors and friends came over with all of their beer and wine.  We set the beverages out back on the patio to keep it cook and fired up the grill when we got hungry.  Hours have passed, and no wife.  This was before cell phones.  Finally after 3 they finally pulled up.  Both were drunk as a skunk!  Spousal unit was the last one to be dropped off before the Doctor headed home.  Seems ole Doc had a case of Coors lite in the back of that Scout of his for days like this!  Case was all but gone by the time they got to our house.
Back then, nobody ever got hurt, or a ticket....

A few years later, we were in our new house.  Had not bought any firewood yet, so next day I loaded Up the boys and off we went, to get us some gas logs,since I had tired of toting firewood long ago.  That was almost 20 years ago and we haven't had a winter storm like that since.

Now I find myself Up in the Memphis  area, waiting on the spousal unit to finish her seminar for the day, so I can go get some wine and beer and maybe a Lost Pizza or two, and make someone memories to talk about "when we get older", but hell, from the mirror this morning it looks like I'm already there!

God bless everyone out there in nature's way.  Start living.  Life is good, all the time!








 we still managed to have fun.