Monday, January 16, 2017

Driving in the Snow

Cinders from the coal fired furnace were like coarse pumice
and were a great traction solution for the driveway or on the road if you got stuck.
The Old Farmer was fearless and this was not unusual.

One year he was breaking through the drifts with the old chevrolet.
At the end of the woods was a particularly large drift, maybe 2 plus feet. 
He says hold on and speeds up, kerplowey! Stuck!
Fortunately that was only a couple hundred feet from home.

One year at the far end of the woods there was a humongous drift.
The plow truck was stuck in it and they had to send out bigger
state equipment to get it out!

  Back to The Old Farmer...
then there was the time he went to town
via the back road,
Down the hill over the tracks and up
the other side.
But it was icy and packed snow.
And we didn't go up the other side.
And we couldn't back up out the way
 we came!
And if that wasn't bad enough
there was a curve in that place.
So after gunning it back and forth
and back and forth more times
then I can count we made it out!
I am betting he wished he had
a trunk full of cinders.
 I do think The Old Farmer was 
a little worried that time.
But he always made it a fun adventure
for us kids.

4 comments:

Eldon Mains said...

Ironically my wife and I had to drive through the gorge yesterday. I could see black specs in the packed snow on the road ahead of us. I commented that they were cinders. My wife who is from California had no idea what I was talking about. I had to explain about the coal fired furnaces etc etc.

jen mains said...

Eldon, I am surprised you were venturing out that way! After the big snowstorm I heard there was a "gorge" ice storm happening.

Eldon Mains said...

We went between storms! 4 wheel drive worked just great!

Sue said...

Yep, ditto on the not knowing about the cenders, most of my life in calif.
Even when living in New Mexico, and it did snow, all I remember is playing in it and building the snowman!!!!
Great story!!!! hahahaa, love the visuals these stories bring!
Better than cable tv...hahaha no commercials....