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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Out the kitchen window--March 2010

The prediction is snow. Here in the South, just hearing the word strikes terror. People rush to the store and strip the shelves of all bread, milk, pop tarts, and bananas. Don't these people have any food in their homes?
 
One year, I really did need milk and bananas. I was not making a "stock up for a blizzard" trip. In a very large grocery store all registers were open and the lines were all the way down the grocery aisles to the meat department in the back of the store. Of course, I could not open my front door the next morning. My car was snowed in and the roads were impassable and closed for days. I fell down lots.
 
Around here, even a prediction of "snow flurries" drives people to strip the shelves in stores. Batteries are not to be found anywhere. All water bottles and jugs are just gone. Peanut butter, jelly, all bread in any form, meats of all sorts, juices, popcorn, pop tarts, you name it and it's gone.
 
So, I went out about 4 am this morning to get milk. I really am out of milk. I just did not want to be out in the press of people. I already had flashlight batteries. And bananas. And Cokes. I am set.
 
The hens are not going to like this.
 
The weather prediction has the "S" word in it. But, he says it will be flurries that will not stick, maybe 3 inches. And, it will be gone by tonight. The meteorologists work us up to a frenzy. It is not going to go down to freezing. The ground was warmed by 75 F weather this Sunday. We had about three hours of freezing weather since then.
 
Sigh....
 
Your turn
 
Got snow? Getting snow? Do you live in an area that panics when they hear the "S" word? Or, do you live in a land of snow?

13 comments:

  1. I once helped a friend with a large family move. I have learned that a lot of people in the South simply don't stock more than a few days worth of food. Although I find that unfathomable, I can see where some snow might terrify them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm, Jane, I replied to you and it is way down in the comments.

      Delete
  2. LOVE snow, and we tend to get several dustings of 2-6 inches every season at our house in the hills. Though it all melts in between events, so we don't get much accumulation. :(

    People in the Portland area go into full panic mode over snow. It snowed around 2-4" one work day a couple years ago. The resulting slush caused insane traffic problems all over the metro area. A 23 mile drive (normally 30-40 min) took me FOUR HOURS! Idiots literally abandoning their cars in the middle of huge intersections over, no joke, a couple measly inches of melting slush. Argh! Thus, if the forecast says "the s-word" for the valley floor, I work from home. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rae,
      We don't abandon our cars in slush. Our panic extends to getting "milk and bread."

      We don't have to get two inches to cause panic.

      I can imagine how you would work from home if it took that long to get to work!

      Delete
  3. Living in the land of snow in Nova Scotia, Canada :-) I had an appointment yesterday in the city. It was snowing, but my husband felt unconcerned. We made the apointment in plenty of time, but the 1.25 drive home took us 4 hours in the storm. He just kept creeping along at 50km (around 30mph) all the way home without incident.

    I wasn't quite as non-chalant mind you ;-)

    As for food...we have about a month's worth right now including the "basics" of powdered and canned milks, fruit (fresh, canned and dried) and frozen bread plus the ingredients to make it from scratch.

    Oh! That sounds like I was bragging! lol Not bragging just answering the questions :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue,
      I can imagine how you must have been a little nervous. But 30 mph is not too fast. It is the person who insists on driving 70 mph in snow that frightens me.

      No, it did not sound like bragging. But, we are not going to starve to death if we cannot get out to the store for a week. I just wondered if people everywhere feel so unprepared for snow and isolatin.

      Delete
  4. Jane,
    Yes, snow is definitely "an event" here in the South. I suppose we just don't want to starve to death. It is the stripped shelves that are so astounding to me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Snow on the Oregon Coast is very unusual so I try to stay home. Somewhere along the way I think most people have bought into the story that there will always be a grocery store so it is "wasteful" to have a stocked pantry. So when something happens (snow, flood, etc) the panic buying commences.

    Sarah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah,
      It does not snow often in the South where I live. So, drivers don't know how to drive on snow covered or icy roads. I stay home because I fear the unexperienced drivers. "Panic buying" is exactly what happens.

      Delete
  6. We shan't be getting any new snow anytime soon. Of course, the 2 feet we have won't be melting anytime soon either. We're in a deep freeze. It's -32°C (-25°F) right now. Too cold to snow. High for the week is forecast at -14°C (7°F). I'll be staying close to the fire!

    Hope you don't get too much snow and it doesn't last too long!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, 7F is cold. I wish I could make the little degree circle on my computer. No wonder you don't like to go out in the winter.

      Delete
  7. Jane, I'll need your address so I can send you a handmade greeting card. I'll not sign it, so you can send it to someone else. I used to have contests on my blog every week and the winner got a card. I don't do that any more, but I was so thankful for your advice regarding Knudsen cherry juice that I thought you deserved a lil' somethin' somethin' from me. I hope you have my email addy cuz I don't think I have yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lotta joy,
      My name is Linda, but it's okay. You certainly don't owe me a card, but I will gladly receive and use it. I am excited about getting it.

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.