Weather or Not

OK. So I am a little chagrined about the remarks I made on facebook yesterday about the weather. I was kidding around that I hoped the promised blizzard would be one of the Dairy Queen ilk, and grousing that no one in town would bring us a pizza (while we watched the Huskies play their first game of the Pac 10 championship, recorded because it aired after bedtime CST the previous night -- Go Dawgs!).

Turns out, while I watched the "wintry mix" of rain and snow blowing sideways from the cozy comfort of my home office all day, over 800 motorists were stranded on the highways across North Dakota.

From the Bismarck Tribune: "Interstate 94 was still closed from Dickinson to Fargo as of 11:30 a.m. Saturday, as was U.S. Highway 83 from Bismarck to Minot and highways west of Garrison. No travel advisories remained in effect for areas from south and west of Hazen east to state Highway 3 and in the Jamestown and Valley City areas. Interstate 29 was reopened from Fargo to the South Dakota border but remained closed from Watertown to Sisseton. I-29 also was closed from the Canadian border to Grand Forks and state Highway 1806 was closed between Highway 8 and Highway 200."

Wow. After the main arteries of the state were closed because they were impossible to traverse on Friday, many drivers abandoned their vehicles, rescued by state department of transportation workers. Some were even discovered by helicopters this morning.

I should have known not to make light of it. As I was driving home from swim practice early Friday the local announcer on Prairie Public radio warned of a no-travel advisory across the state, and recommended that if you had to go out, you should "be sure your winter emergency kit is well supplied. And if you are stranded, please stay with your car." If I've learned anything about my new demographic, North Dakotans are a hearty, determined bunch. It takes some pretty serious weather to keep them from going about their business. I should have known.

Life goes on, and there's no drama.

Reflective perhaps of the unsinkable spirit of this place, today dawned sunny and beautiful. Our driveway had been naturally "shoveled" by the wind; the large blizzardy snowfall had drifted gently but firmly into our neighbor's yard.

Primetime Big 10 basketball coverage notwithstanding, I think I am going to like it here. But I'd be lying if I didn't own up to the tug on my heart as I spoke with my sister by phone today, and she said that daffodils are blooming in Oregon.