Reporting From The Frozen Midwest

Apparently there’s an honest difference of opinion revolving around the question of whether it is worse to be visited by a big load of snow or fall victim to an ice storm. As someone who resides in an area that is currently experiencing the latter, I’m leaning toward ice as the scariest problem.

Please don’t misunderstand — I have all the sympathy in the world for folks who are buried under a lot of snow. But here’s the thing: for someone like me who is fortunate enough to be able to stay home, warm and cozy, in this kind of weather, a huge snowfall is usually no big deal. (Of course, if you don’t keep a fully stocked pantry, then you might find yourself boiling an old leather boot to make soup, but still.)

But when the trees and power lines are covered with a big buildup of ice, things get really scary. Huge branches can break off and come crashing down on houses or garages. Electric lines snap and fall from the weight, causing widespread power outages. Utility crews can’t possibly cope with all the problems at once (if at all) so you’re in a rapidly-cooling house — one that probably has its doors frozen shut.

In our area there are thousands of folks currently in that situation, but we’ve been lucky so far. Several big branches have fallen but we continue to have power. Still, I cringe every time I hear a creak from outside.

On the musical side of things, I couldn’t find one about a frozen blogger, but here’s one about a frozen logger. Close enough.

Cisco Houston – “The Frozen Logger”