Little Surprises

Strange how life has a way of taking one on unexpected adventures.  A man and his wife made a trip to North Dakota to celebrate an uncle's 50th wedding anniversary.  Caught in a late-winter snowstorm in South Dakota they inched along the two-lane road.  Her job was to attempt to keep the white line at the edge of the road in sight.  Let the husband know if he seemed to be veering too far in either direction.  Too close on the right they could slide into the ditch.  Too far to the left they could have a head-on collision.  

The man's hands gripped the steering wheel for dear life.  Unable to see clearly beyond the hood of the car most of the time his body was a mass of tension.  Even though it was the middle of the day, headlights were needed.  Though the lights did little to help see in the blizzard conditions, maybe other drivers would see them.  Man and wife kept their eyes peeled watching for lights cast by other vehicles.  Few were seen.

How had they gotten into this situation?  The wife used her circa 2005 cell phone to view the radar image of the storm's progress.  It appeared the storm would move east across I 29.  All to the west appeared to be clearing.  Based on that radar image they decided to head west to avoid the storm.  They turned off Interstate 29 around St. Joseph, MO.   The husband chose a road he had driven on previous trips to visit his uncle and cousins.  

The roads were cleared and all was looking good as they angled across Nebraska.  Turning due north on US Hwy. 83 saw things change rapidly.  Again, checking the radar, it became clear there had been an oversight.  Or maybe a new development.  The storm had created a large swirl on the backside.  The couple was heading directly into the worst of it.   There was no stopping as there were no towns.  Just stretches of the high plains.   Somewhere near the Nebraska/South Dakota border, the snow started falling. 

About 50 miles south of I 90 it was the full blizzard conditions described above.  The couple was thankful for a heater that worked.  While the wind whipped around the car, no drifts were accumulating.   What should have been a 40- minute drive took over 2 hours.  At times he could drive 35 MPH.  More times closer to 15 to 20 MPH.  

Finally, they saw signs of nearing I 90.  On the north side of the interstate highway was a truck stop.  They pulled into a parking spot.  They still had to make it to the door of the building.  The walks were icy.  The wind blew so hard the wife was hardly able to make it up the slight rise in the sidewalk.  She slid backward twice without falling.  The husband was more successful in navigating the ice.  Finally, they reached the door and entered.  

The air was smoky inside but who cared.  They were not having to be in a death grip of steering wheels or watching the white stripe inch by.  The truck stop provided shelter in the storm.  With restrooms, homecooked food, and road condition updates the couple settled in for the storm to pass.  Once the truckers began feeling they could head west, the couple joined in the line.  When they finally stopped for the night, they were told that I 90 had been closed to traffic just as they left the truck stop. 

The storm roared into the late night.  By morning the sky was blue and the wind abated.  Newscasts were thoroughly checked for weather conditions.  No snow or storms for at least 10 days out.  So the couple lived to make it to the uncle's anniversary party.  It was a surprise for uncle.  Not nearly the surprise that wrap-around blizzard had been for that couple.

Morning after a blizzard in North Dakota

The wedding gown and suit were worn 50 years earlier.

Take care,

Janice