A few days ago I traipsed down memory lane and wrote about blizzards – that I learned in childhood that a blizzard is wind, cold, and snow combined. Then I added that we have not had any blizzards here.

I spoke too soon. We are now in the midst of a blizzard; the snow isn’t falling, and it isn’t too cold; rather, the wind is blowing old snow around. What a coincidence.

Pete and I ventured out at about noon and drove to town. The drifting snow, particularly on the Glenn Highway, was mesmerizing. It swirled about – it was like standing close and looking into a clothes drier.

Winter driving conditions

The wind wasn’t too bad when we left here, but it got stronger as we got closer to Palmer. I got out of Tank Grrrl when we got to the Historic Eagle Hotel, and as I went to enter the side door, I was literally blown across the parking lot. I ducked into the side of the building and entered via the back door, stopping momentarily to catch my breath.

We ran into Ed Gravely who works for the Matanuska Credit Union – he was standing there, I think as many must have done today, waiting for the wind to momentarily abate so that he could get to his car.

I had never before seen the wind this bad in Palmer – once I struggled to cross the Post Office Parking lot, but I didn’t then feel like a kite at the end of a string.

We met with our grant writer, Robbie, who grew up in Palmer. She told us an amazing story about the wind blowing so hard that she ended up hanging onto the railroad tracks. She said the wind was so strong that it shredded her jeans.

Cherokee came in for a visit as Pete and I were sorting books from Title Wave. She had plastic bags on her feet, and cleats of some kind on the bags. The word that came to mind was resourceful.

Cherokee doesn’t have much money, so she makes do. This got me to thinking that those without money are probably more resourceful than those who have a lot of money.

I might have been thinking this because before leaving today, Pete and I did an online conference with our TIAA financial manager. Pete manages our finances, so I felt what might be the word to describe it? Like a kite at the end of a string. It’s okay, I think to use the same analogy twice.

I didn’t contribute much to the financial discussion. She asked me when I retired, and I said at age 14. She asked what I do for a living, and I said nothing. She asked if I was getting Social Security, and I said no. She asked about our utilities, and I said we don’t pay anything. We are off the grid. All my answers, I thought, went hand-in-hand with the background on Pete’s computer screen – she could see our clothes drying rack.

We got through Pete’s financial status. We will do mine on December 14th. I have vowed to then be more cooperative because our financial future is at stake.

So we finished sorting books and drove to Sutton and put outgoing books in the post office book kiosk. The ride there was the epitome of real blizzard conditions – swirling and white outs.

I was glad to get home. We are on a hill, so we can hear the wind roar. But fortunately, the horses, who are down below, are in a relatively blizzard free area.

Next: 320. 11/21/23: Momentum