Thursday, March 28, 2024

C. Stroup: Let it snow … really?

C. Stroup
C. Stroup

At this writing I’ve just blinked only to discover the last few remnants of snow flurries have gone back to heaven.  An accumulation of ¾ of an inch would be an exaggeration (and, yes, I’ve been known to do some of that. Just ask my editor!)  So, it’s Saturday, January 11, and the preceding snowfall on record in our neck of the woods was in 2015. The weather folks reported large flakes blanketing roads and yards and appearing to stick to the ground. Sounds like a regular blizzard, if you ask me!

Every year I wish for a white Christmas and I do vaguely recall there being one many years ago here in town. I’m thinkin’ it was 2012. I’m envious of my friend, St. Lou Sue, who brags of the massive accrual of snow St. Louis bears witness to each winter. That is one thing I miss about living there…the four seasons. True enough, Texas does have its own four seasons: Hot, Hotter, Hottest and OMG!

After moving here I recall trips back to St. Louis for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It always used to frost me to have to pack a big heavy coat and boots in anticipation of the sometimes bitter cold and blustery winds. These accompanied all that snow I now miss.

St. Lou Sue likes to taunt me. She’ll send like 10 pictures of various rooftops, patios, driveways, etc. all loaded with what she claims to be 8 inches of the white stuff. Furthermore, she’ll boast of drifts as high as a foot or more. (Okay, 10 photos a slight exaggeration, 8 inches, not so much). I hate it when she does that!

Snowfall in Lantana on Jan. 11, 2020

This time I proudly retaliated with two pictures of our backyard displaying a rather prominent dusting of snow, no matter all the grass that showed!  I followed up with how one of these rare but horrendous storm fronts affects our city.

“Sue Lou, this is just incredible. Last night schools and churches cancelled activities in anticipation of the bad weather in the forecast. Traffic was backed up for miles behind our one county snow plow spreading something on the roads. They weren’t certain what to use. The grocery stores experienced a mad rush as people prepared to be shut in for days! The shelves were all but bare, especially those with toilet paper! I’m tellin’ ya Sue Lou, you really would have to have been here to believe it!”

She had a hearty laugh, mostly over the pitiful photos. However, she didn’t doubt the panic of the Texas population when it comes to dealing with such inclement conditions!

Next year for Christmas I hope that there will be

Plenty of the white stuff

For the grandkids to feel and see!

C. Stroup
C. Stroup
Cindy Stroup is a Double Oak resident and has been contributing to The Cross Timbers Gazette for over 30 years. Read her column each month in The Cross Timbers Gazette newspaper.

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