Slip Sliding To Walmart Through A Blizzard

Earlier this second Sunday of the 2021 version of February I mentioned that even though it was 18 degrees below zero I was likely going to make my way to my mailbox when I got the notice from Amazon that a package had been delivered.

Around 11 this morning that package delivered message arrived. And so I layered on the outerwear and exited my abode. I was pleased to find that the white coating was not too slippery. I had told myself that if making my way to the mailbox was easy I might drive to ALDI and Walmart. I was in need of mushrooms for Alfedo sauce, and ALDI is my supplier of that ingredient.

In the photo at the top I am stopped at the redlight intersection of Taft and Midwestern Boulevards. You might be able to make it out on the temperature info part of the rearview mirror that it as 9 degrees above zero at that point in time. That intersection was the first instance of finding the road to be a bit slippery.

I slowly made it to ALDI, got the mushrooms and some other stuff, and then slowly drove across the street to Walmart.

That's the view through my windshield in the Walmart parking lot. By the time I left Walmart, shortly after noon, the snow had greatly amped up, as had the wind. 

Above we are heading east on Midwestern Boulevard. The incoming snow now seemed to be in blizzard mode, with visibility greatly reduced.

A few minutes later, after taking the above picture, I was safely parked under the carport. 

 And then a few minutes later, back in my abode, I took a photo of the same view from my computer room as I had taken earlier. If you saw the previous photo you can see the amount of snow has greatly increased.

This deep freeze is scheduled to last most of the week. I do not foresee doing any more driving in it. 

Spencer Jack Thanksgiving Eve Salt Lake City Blizzard

Incoming from Spencer Jack and his dad late last night.....

FUD --

I was sure I was done sharing our pre-Thanksgiving Day Utah trip photos with you.

But....Spencer and I were touring downtown SLC this evening after experiencing a day of sunshine and warm weather.  

We were at Barnes & Noble and when we exited thinks turned ugly fast.

Blizzard like conditions.

Saw a semi turned on its side from high winds on the interstate. Windshield wipers were going fast shoveling off snow all the way back to the hotel.

When we returned to the hotel, I asked the desk attendant if this storm was expected. He looked at me and asked, "what storm?" We left the hotel 2 hours prior and it was 55 degrees and sunny. He continued to stare at us like we were crazy.

Nonetheless, Spencer Jack was more than happy. We found a snow sledding worthy hill within walking distance from the hotel, but were absent of the sled. He adapted to 'butt sledding' quickly.

I'm glad I packed the snow suits.

Hoping this storm will pass soon as we both have early afternoon turkey dinner events to attend back in the snow free Skagit Valley, which requires our morning flight to be operating on-time.

Happy early Thanksgiving, FNJ & FNSJ

_____________________

I don't know if Spencer Jack has had enough wheels on ice experience to render it a safe idea for him to be driving in a Utah blizzard.

Is that a fire burning behind the boys?  Outside their hotel? Outside the Barnes & Noble?

If my memory is serving me correctly, and sometimes it does, downtown Salt Lake City is a bit hilly, sort of built on a slope.

I don't know if that is Spencer Jack or his dad doing the makeshift sledding below.

What I do know is it looks cold.

I wonder what the town I am currently in does for sledding purposes if, or when, snow covers the ground. Do people head to Mount Wichita for some sliding action?

If the Wichita Bluffs Nature Area would ever get completed it might afford some good sliding action.

I'm guessing Spencer Jack by now has driven his dad to the airport and is either in the sky or waiting to be airborne.

I wonder if Spencer Jack's dad remembers when we flew back from Las Vegas back in the late 1990s? Soon upon being in the air I remember pointing to the right and telling Jason and Joey that that was Zion we were looking at.

This was a Southwest Airlines flight. So, naturally there was some goofiness. As in the stewardess informed us that today was our pilot's birthday. And that he was the youngest pilot flying Southwest.

27 years old.

Yikes, I remember thinking. And then as we neared Salt Lake City, where we were doing a touchdown, the pilot informed us that to gain some lost time he was going to execute some sort of extra steep descent. He was informing us of this so as not to worry those who were used to a  more sedate descent.

Ironically, nothing seemed unusual about the descent. And when we got off the plane at Sea-Tac we happy birthday greeted the pilot and thanked him for the smooth landings.....

Princess Annie Shoveling Snow On Christmas Eve After A Blizzard Blankets Wink

Princess Annie
 Trying To Clear A Path In Snowbound Wink

A blizzard of snow has descended upon West Texas and the Realm of Wink.

Throughout the day, the Queen of Wink has been documenting the ongoing snowstorm that has blanketed her realm in a thick coat of frozen white stuff.

Things have gotten so snowbound that the Queen of Wink had no one else beside Princess Annie to assign snow shoveling duty to.

North Central Texas is seeing nothing like the Wink Blizzard blowing in on us, so far, this Christmas Eve.

A cold rain dripped here in the noon time frame, which discouraged me from going on my daily, doctor prescribed, walk. I was in no mood to walk under a bumbershoot in an icy rain.

So, instead I went to the Beach Street Super Wal-Mart to play Dodge Humans With A Grocery Cart.

The Beach Street Super Wal-Mart does not attract as many super-sized humans to dodge as my neighborhood Eastchase Super Wal-Mart, where I regularly experience aisles blocked by plus-sized humans riding the electric carts that Wal-Mart provides for those unable to walk. Or unwilling.

Well. It is time for my annual Christmas Eve party to begin. I'll talk to you in the morning, late, because I'll likely be sleeping in past the arrival of the Christmas morning sun.

A Yellow Wildflower Blooms In Fort Worth Texas After Surviving The Christmas Eve Blizzard

Until today I was pretty much housebound due to the North Texas Christmas Eve Blizzard. On Christmas too much ice and snow lingered to make it seem like a good idea to drive anywhere.

Today I could take being housebound no longer. So, I went to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake. A lot of people seemed to be of a similar mind, to get out and enjoy the balmy 40 degree temperatures.

I was very surprised today to see an exotic, beautifully yellow, wildflower blooming (that is one in the picture with Fosdic Lake in the background). How do these wildflowers survive 14 degree temperatures, a raging blizzard and being covered with snow? There were dozens of these beautiful wildflowers coloring up the landscape. I would have picked a bouquet, but that seemed wrong to do. That, and these wildflowers do not smell too nice.

As you can see above, snow still lingers where the blizzard blew it into drifts. There were still some icy spots on the road in shady spots, so it's still a bit dicey driving out there, requiring caution. I'm not used to having to use a lot of caution. I usually throw it to the wind.

I'm on the west side of Fosdic Lake, looking east at a family feeding the Fosdic Lake Birds. The family is standing on what the Fosdic Lake Dam Vision envisions being a beach, where Fort Worth kids can play on the sand and run into the lake for a swim, while thanking Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief for making it all possible.

So, that's been my boring post-Christmas day. I actually got un-housebound prior to going to Fosdic Lake. After I came in from my morning quick dip and hot tub roast I had a hankering for bacon. This required a quick trip to Wal-Mart. I also had a hankering for waffles. These type hankerings and my decreased activity level are still causing constant weight gain, despite my therapist Dr. L.C.'s orders to the contrary.

Merry White Christmas From A Skinny Dipping Santa In Texas

The Dallas Morning News article about yesterday's day long Christmas Eve snowstorm called it a blizzard. I thought it looked like a blizzard, heavy wind blowing the snow horizontal, but since I'd had never been in a blizzard I didn't really know for sure.

Three inches were recorded at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with that three inches being the first Christmas Eve snowfall since the National Weather Service started keeping records in 1898.

The National Weather Service was keeping records where D/FW Airport is located? Way back in 1898?

At times, during the blizzard, visibility was reduced to around a quarter-mile. A lot of flights did not make it out of the airport yesterday on time.

This morning it was well below freezing when the sun came up. Making this a White Christmas. Because it was so windy a lot of the snow got blown into little drifts. I have a little snowdrift outside my front door. The snow had mostly blown away from the cement area around the pool.

We have now gone above freezing so the white stuff is starting to disappear.

Like I said I would, yesterday, despite my therapist Dr. L.C.'s admonishment not to, I went swimming this morning and photo documented it. And like I said I would, all I wore was my Santa cap. I believe this is the first time I've gotten into the pool when it was below 25.

Since the water in the pool was not frozen it was significantly warmer than the air. So the immediate reaction to getting in it was that it felt warmer. I have no idea what the temperature of the water is. We got to almost 80 two days ago.

Thai food is my Christmas feeding theme. With blackberry pie. The feeding is around 2. Don't be late.

The Christmas Eve Snow Continues To Fall In Fort Worth Texas Guaranteeing A White Christmas

It is 5pm, Christmas Eve in Fort Worth, Texas. I am snowbound.

It is 26 degrees. Snow continues to fall. All is blanketed with white.

I canceled my plan to go to Miss Puerto Rico's tonight, due to weather related hazards.

In the photo, that is my swimming suit, from this morning, sitting outside my patio screen door, under cover, yet frozen and covered with snow from the continuing blizzard.

As God is my witness I shall not let this keep me from the pool in the morning. I shall photo document that event, complete with Santa hat. I may skinnydip just to make it more interesting.

Christmas Eve Blizzard Of Blowing Snow Hits Fort Worth & North Texas

Yesterday was warm, almost 80. Overnight it got cold. This morning it started snowing. By the time I got out of here, at noon, it had turned pretty much into a blizzard out there.

The temperature has now fallen to 29. I just heard a long screeching skidding noise out there. The snow continues to fall fast, being blown horizontal by the wind.

Just looked out the window. The snow is starting to stick. This is going to pile up fast now unless the snow stops.

When I escaped here it was to go to the Post Office and Wal-Mart. I have never seen the Wal-Mart/Sam's Club parking lots so full. Inside the store it was a zoo. I don't believe I've ever seen it so busy.

The blowing blizzard added an almost surreal element to the throng of last minute Christmas Eve shoppers.

One thing I'm not understanding is I've still not had to turn on the heat in here. Has that icy water swimming done something dire to my internal thermostat?

Below is a YouTube video of part of my drive to Wal-Mart through the blizzard.