APPALACHIAN ICE, or, THANK YOU, ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL
Hello?
Oh, hi, Mom. How's the weather there in Jacksonville?
Hot already this morning, huh? Must be nice.
How are things back here in the hills? Oh, just about normal, I guess.
Yeah, I know I sound a little down today.
Well, early this morning the ice began to fall and then that was followed by the snow. Everything is covered up now and the temperature has fallen to about 20 and is still going down.
Oh, yeah, the trees are bowed low to the ground and groaning. The willow is on the ground and the pines are crying with all the load they've got on them. The ditches are solid now, and the creek is a sheet of ice.
What's that? Is it going to be this way for a while? Well, the forecast doesn't give much hope. Three more days of sub-zero will have the whole world in a deep-freeze. No sun until after the thaw begins, whenever that is.
No, the battery is too low, or probably dead by now. That's okay since we can't drive in ice that deep anyhow. We've got coal piled up on the porch and in buckets beside the house, and a pile of wood that's covered up with snow by the back door.
Sure. Kids were sent home early yesterday and its called off for the rest of the week. May as well be, no one could get there anyway. And the waterline from that drilled well froze underneath the house this morning. Thank God we didn't fill in that old dug well out back. At least we can get enough water for coffee for breakfast. As long as the coffee lasts, anyway. Guess when it runs out I'll just reuse the grounds the way we did when we was poor. It's too far to walk over on the next branch to the store. They might not be open anyhow.
Yeah, Mom, it's a real pain. And with no water, we can't use the bathroom, and that really is a big pain. The privy is going to get a workout again. I'm glad I had Jim replace those rotten board, now.
Yeah, those old hens give their eggs no matter what the weather is like. I have to give them extra food too. Every time I throw the feed down, it seems like the snow covers it up before they get to it.
I know, we have to get the eggs within an hour or two after they're laid so they won't freeze on us.
Mom, I got to go. The kids are making a big racket in the front room. Give me a call tomorrow or Thursday, OK?
Yeah, I love you ,too, Mom. Bye.
Oh, hi, Mom. How's the weather there in Jacksonville?
Hot already this morning, huh? Must be nice.
How are things back here in the hills? Oh, just about normal, I guess.
Yeah, I know I sound a little down today.
Well, early this morning the ice began to fall and then that was followed by the snow. Everything is covered up now and the temperature has fallen to about 20 and is still going down.
Oh, yeah, the trees are bowed low to the ground and groaning. The willow is on the ground and the pines are crying with all the load they've got on them. The ditches are solid now, and the creek is a sheet of ice.
What's that? Is it going to be this way for a while? Well, the forecast doesn't give much hope. Three more days of sub-zero will have the whole world in a deep-freeze. No sun until after the thaw begins, whenever that is.
No, the battery is too low, or probably dead by now. That's okay since we can't drive in ice that deep anyhow. We've got coal piled up on the porch and in buckets beside the house, and a pile of wood that's covered up with snow by the back door.
Sure. Kids were sent home early yesterday and its called off for the rest of the week. May as well be, no one could get there anyway. And the waterline from that drilled well froze underneath the house this morning. Thank God we didn't fill in that old dug well out back. At least we can get enough water for coffee for breakfast. As long as the coffee lasts, anyway. Guess when it runs out I'll just reuse the grounds the way we did when we was poor. It's too far to walk over on the next branch to the store. They might not be open anyhow.
Yeah, Mom, it's a real pain. And with no water, we can't use the bathroom, and that really is a big pain. The privy is going to get a workout again. I'm glad I had Jim replace those rotten board, now.
Yeah, those old hens give their eggs no matter what the weather is like. I have to give them extra food too. Every time I throw the feed down, it seems like the snow covers it up before they get to it.
I know, we have to get the eggs within an hour or two after they're laid so they won't freeze on us.
Mom, I got to go. The kids are making a big racket in the front room. Give me a call tomorrow or Thursday, OK?
Yeah, I love you ,too, Mom. Bye.
posted by tanstaafl | 5:26 PM
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