I is for ...

ICE, ICE, BABY...IT'S AN ICE STORM!!!

A cold, clear early January morning, I awake and look out the window to find a white yard with a nice glaze over top the ground and on everything you can see in sight. Frozen in time … that is what the world seemed to feel like, and in reality, things were frozen, solidly frozen, thanks to a lovely and rare North Carolina ice storm. In my home state of North Carolina, we are not accustomed to a lot of annual snow fall, much less an ice storm or two. People love to laugh at us for cancelling schools at the drop of a hat or just anything, but let me tell you, we are not equipped to handle this type of precipitation. We can handle the hurricanes and thunderstorms, but you throw in some snow and ice, we panic. I will be one of the first ones out the door of the office because I will NOT drive on this mess, as our roads are not capable of sustaining this excess weather and crazy traffic all leaving work at one time.

Unfortunately the Winter of 2013-2014 would not leave us (I even think on this May day, it is still trying to rear its ugly head as it is a gloomy and cool day outside), but our winter did not treat us kindly this year. The schools have missed so many days because of weather delays and closings, they have had to make all sorts of adjustments, among countless other things that have been hindered and delayed because of the inclement weather. We had several snow storms this season which provided two great opportunities for me – 1) I was able to bring out the surfboard and use for sledding and 2) I was able to eat some good ‘ole snow cream (yum, yum!). The whiteness of the snow is so beautiful yet it makes everything around it look so ugly. Imagine that is probably how Christ might look at us. He died on the cross to allow us to be washed white as snow, His blood shed so that we can be cleansed, but before we accept His cleansing blood, we look dark and dirty compared to His glorious, radiating appearance.

The times we had ice storms this year, they left us completely paralyzed. I don’t care who you are nor where you moved here from, you cannot drive on ice. But, if you want to get out there and try to maneuver around, go right ahead, but don’t come crying to me when you tear up your car or get stuck on a hill expecting us to come push you. Stay home and stay warm and safe! To me, the morning after the ice storm hits, it leaves a beautiful residue for us to capture. Ice covers everything from the cars, to the basketball net, to the flowers, trees and bushes … you name it, likely it is frozen in ice. The ice makes it appear that things are literally frozen in time and that you are all alone moving about in this frozen time zone. But little by little, precious little critters – birds, squirrels, etc. – begin to venture out in search of food that is frozen beneath all of this ice. It was fun to me to feed the birds some of our table scraps, like Cheerios, and watch them enjoy being able to be fulfilled from “human” food while they could not get to their own “natural” food.

Even though I cannot stand cold weather and really do not like to see the snow fall, it still provides us with a beautiful landscape to allow our senses to explore. I pray that our upcoming winter of 2014-2015 is less eventful, and I just pray that we have a summer and that winter won’t rear its ugly head during our months of warm, heavenly bliss – I will gladly take 100 degree temperatures and humidity any day over 7 degree temperatures with a wind chill – call me, crazy but that’s what I like! And, by the way, keep making fun of us North Carolinians for cancelling school or leaving work or whatever, I guarantee when you have a wreck, we’ll be sitting home laughing at you on the TV because we are the ones with sense who have stayed home. As I’ve always said, you moved here and can always remove yourself. I was born here and I fully intend on staying unless a new adventure awaits. Enjoy the snow, enjoy the ice and don’t forget to make you some snow cream!