Winter!

Actually, I'm pushing it on the season.  It's still officially the Fall.  Looking out my window, it's easy to see how I was confused.

Last Thursday, (12/5) we started getting sleet and then snow, temperature well below freezing.  Today, Monday the ninth, the temperatures have gotten close to 32 degrees, but not much above or for very long.  As a result we still have a blanket of snow, some 6-8 inches.  Our little city has been taxed way beyond it's ability to remove snow from the roads, and travel is pretty hazardous.  Our Church cancelled services both Saturday and Sunday and is not having mass during the week.  Fortunately we can get out because our Honda Ridgeline has all wheel drive.  Today I had a Dr's appointment in Springdale, some 24 miles south and we got there and back with no problems, other than driving slow and carefully as all the roads, including 71 highway and Interstate 540 still have packed snow and ice on their surfaces.

I've made two "rescue" runs for a disabled Church member who has put his truck in the ditch twice, trying to navigate on our roads.  He was once an over the road trucker, and driving on these conditions shouldn't be a new experience for him.  This morning he called and asked if I could pick up some things for him at a local grocery.  Thinking he wanted food, I agreed.  Then he told me he wanted two bags of ice, two packs of cigarettes, and a newspaper!   If I hadn't once been a smoker and know what it would be like to be out of smokes, I would have turned him down.  In any case, I did the run and without any difficulty with the roads.  Love the all wheel drive.

Our back yard

Looking across the street

Our front

Looking north to our neighbors

  The pictures were taken Friday morning, and the scene has changed very little since then, still covered with snow, and getting out only for necessary items.  Thursday morning we went to two groceries and spent $200 on food.  We shouldn't go hungry.

A good thing happened on our way home from the Doctor's office.  After living  here for more than a year, I stumbled on an Adult Wellness Center for those 50 and older, located in nearby Rogers.   We stopped at the facility on our way home and were so impressed with the facility and all it's amenities.  There is a full gym, indoor walking lap lanes, two swimming pools, a social lounge, pool tables, a library and more.  The best news is that our "Silver Sneakers" membership through our health insurance gets us free membership.  We signed up on the spot, and now have a place to go for a little exercise when the weather would discourage outdoor activities.  I'm really excited as I've missed swimming more than I would have thought.  I haven't swam a single stroke since we left Florida last year.  I'm really stoked that we have found this facility and I plan to use it a lot.