Goin' Home

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Last weekend when we were in Indiana visiting family and friends, there were predictions of a blizzard flying heavily in the air. We listened to the weather, and consulted the weather map on lappy.

Hmmmm - - - it appeared to us that the storm was going to hit in two phases, the first one coming through Monday evening, followed by a lull of 12 or so hours, and then the second more virulent phase coming in on Tuesday afternoon.

We decided to laugh in the face of the "blizzard", finish our planned visits with friends on Monday, "hit the hole" early Tuesday morning, and head home.

Sure enough - - - snow began to fall rather fast and thick about 5:15 on Monday evening. After it had accumulated about an inch the snow was replaced by sleet.

I awoke at 5:30 Tuesday morning and not hearing any patter of sleet on the window I looked out and saw that nothing looked any worse than the night before. I consulted the weather bug on lappy and sure enough - - - the hole in the storm was upon us.

We scurried around, ate a hasty hotel breakfast, loaded up on hotel coffee, and hit the road!


At first while still in Indiana, where road clearing is NOT an art, we drove on cleared tire tracks. We found a lovely big semi and played "follow the leader."

No problems did we encounter.

We DID however see one plow pushing his load of snow INTO the path of the oncoming southbound traffic. I've never seen THAT before and hope never to see it again! (For those of you who live in nontundra regions - - - snow is SUPPOSED to be plowed toward the shoulder and NEVER into the path of oncoming traffic.)


By the time we reached "The Windy City" mist was in the air. The roads were clear - - - but the windshield was not.

I was driving and using the window washer fluid liberally in order to see.

Oh SHOOT - - - the "low washer fluid" light came on and I had to start trying to conserve.

Still, the traffic was very light and we sailed through Chicago from south to north in about 25 minutes and several hours AHEAD of the 20+ inches of snow they were to receive.


We pulled off at the Des Plaines Oasis where Fisherhubby replenished our supply of liquid gold - - - otherwise known as window washer fluid.


Then we made a very necessary stop in the oasis proper - - - which spans the interstate - - -


And is quite like a food court in the sky.


Of course, besides food, it has one OTHER very important "comfort" to offer. We availed ourselves.

A little later, as we stopped for a bite of lunch at the Milton/Edgerton exit in southern Wisconsin, snow flakes were flying. The lunch was tasty and the roads remained clear as we headed on out for the last leg of our journey home.


By the time we turned off the interstate onto highway 73, the snow had stopped falling but snow snakes were swirling across the pavement over our path.


We turned north on highway 13 and soon saw the Nepco Lake fire tower and KNEW we were on the home stretch.


Sampson Street and just blocks from home.

Nary one flake of the "blizzard" fell on our fair town, more's the pity.

So for those of you who worried your heads off about us all day Tuesday as we traveled, you can see we fared quite well as we drove "through the hole."

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