The Blizzard of Aught Nine

Oh yes. I was there. I will be able to tell my grandchildren all about the storm that took the town by surprise. Wichita Falls Texas has indeed made a name for itself. You thought they got a lot of publicity when the Cowboys decided to train there? Well, that was nothing my friend. Nothing compared to the stories that will regale about the Blizzard of Aught Nine.



Bryan, Jaymes, the 2 dogs and I arrived by suppertime the night before Christmas Eve. We parked the car on the grass in the folks backyard and unloaded our gift laden Toyota. Since other family members were joining us for the holiday, we readily agreed to sleep in the travel trailer parked in the yard in it's custom made carport. It gives us plenty of room to move around and the privacy and quiet that we sometimes crave when there are lots of people around. Besides that, I prefer not EVERYone see me in the morning. It's hard enough on my husband, son and dogs.



By nature, I think that's what the cause is, I am an early riser. Usually, no later than around 5:30 a.m. I have the coffee going and am getting ready to let the dogs go out. This morning would be no different. At least where the time was concerned. When I opened the trailer door it was raining pretty hard. So I caught the dogs and we all agreed that we would wait awhile before stepping out to do our business. I crawled back into bed and snuggled down to catch a few more winks. After all, this was vacation right?



When my eyes opened again, I was shocked to see that I had slept in. Me! Sleeping past 8???? "My goodness" I thought as I once again prepared to take the dogs out, "I must have really needed the extra rest". From the quiet, I could tell that the rain had finally let up so I went ahead and opened the door for the dogs. I now have a PRETTY good idea what the term "The first step is a doosey" means. It seems that while I was nestled all snug in my bed, old man winter had decided to drop an inch of snow !!!!!!! That first metal step out of the trailer dang near landed me in the hospital. As I drug myself back inside, I took one last look towards the house. The path was a slushy icy mess. What were we going to do???? We only had enough good water for one pot of coffee and I could polish that off by myself. Our other staples consisted of the thawing turkey and the extra orange juice. All of the delicious cookies and candies and fudge that I made for this wonderful gathering, were inside the house with those other family members. We were doomed.



So I did what any red blooded American would do in a crisis situation. I reached for my cell phone and called my mom, who was of course staying in the house, with those other family members. She answers the phone in her most preciously calm yet chipper voice "Good morning sweetheart. Did you sleep well?". I am appalled. "Did I sleep well????" I choke out in reply. "Have ya even looked out your dad-gum back door and noticed that SOME of your family is snowed in, without food or water?" I so wanted to say, but didn't. "Mom, maybe you should open the sliding glass curtains and take a look outside", I coo instead. "Oh my" she says quietly, "When did it start to snow.....oh look kids.....it's snowing.....come and see......what did you say dear?"



Finally, after putting on every article of clothing that we brought, the three of us slip, slide and slush our way, what seems like a mile and a half, to the back door with our snowy wet dogs on our heels. And for the next 12 hours the snow keeps coming and coming and coming. Would it never stop we cried. It was like there was a little energizer snowman huffing and puffing from the clouds. Our car was buried in the backyard. The carport over the trailer looked like it could collapse at anytime. My dad decided he should test the roads and go to the market. I was sitting in the recliner the whole time, and I swear I didn't know that they were stuck in the street half in and half out of the driveway, until I heard the neighbor talking to them about giving them a push. Bryan says I need to pay more attention to things like that. I say, "Don't try to drive in the snow ".



When the blowing wind and snow finally stopped, we all sighed in relief. The crisis was over. We were all safe and sound and could now stop worrying. But then I thought back on our previous night. We had made popcorn and watched "The Christmas Story" and laughed like crazy. Together. We had spent Christmas morning eating a great breakfast, opening presents and preparing the turkey and all of the fixings. Together. We watched football, played cards and ate every smidgen of the fudge I brought. Together. I guess it doesn't really sound so bad after all does it? You know how we Texans are.....we always have to have a great story to retell to the kids. And this will be mine.