What An Ice Surprise

Yesterday there was an ice storm. It was a strange storm, as the grey sky relentlessly dropped icy sleet over the city.

When I went to work it took me 30 minutes to scrape my car. People who didn’t - then crashed - had to scrap their cars. Just before lunch I left for a doctor’s appointment. Again, I had to scrape my car. But this time something was different. The weather wasn’t cold. The wind wasn’t really blowing, yet the ice rain that fell from the clouds froze instantly. I scraped my windshield and hopped in my car. I turned on the wipers only to discover everything had frozen, again.

In three seconds, another sheet of ice had formed on my windshield. I have never seen anything like it.

If it wasn’t for my haste to get to my appointment, I would have enjoyed it. I like the winter. I like snow, and ice, and bizarre storms.

Little birds, like this chubby Cardinal in my backyard, seemed to enjoy it also, as he played in the crystallized branches. But frightened squirrels, raccoons, and hobos hunkered down in people’s attics to wait it out.

As I returned home from work I came upon an eerie sight. No, it wasn’t hobos climbing out of chimneys. It was Darkness. Only car headlights illuminated the streets. Businesses were closed. Candles flickered from windows.

I pulled into my driveway, wishing, for the 793rd time, that I had some photovoltaic cells on the roof. Even just enough to run one light. And maybe the heater in my aquarium. And maybe the microwave. Aw heck, the furnace too.

I grabbed a handful of tea lights and a few bigger candles and had our house glowing in no time. I turned on the fireplace to get some heat in the house. When Suz arrived home a short time later, it was a nice, warm welcome for her.