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CalmAfterTheStorm

Hi Been awhile - the "muse" is sort of thin! Got one more before the end of the year. We leave for Phoenix next Wednesday - be gone a week. Have a good Christmas, G

Sour Grapes and Saddle Sores

George Hirst

Calm after the storm December 14, 2006

In the fifty-four years we have lived in Illinois there has been at least one "big" snow storm a year. I do not, however, remember any snow storm that was as deep as the storm this year, nor do I remember one this big this early. The news reports that gave us stories about the public servants and their work seemed to be critical about the length of time it took to get streets open so the public could go about its business.

We are aware of the changes in our climate. A note about this storm and where it was at its biggest: A band north of Peoria and South of Interstate eighty seems to have had the most snow. Big snows in my memory were always north of us. We seemed to get snows that were not deeper than, at the most, a foot. A second part of this is the change in temperature from up to 60 degrees to below zero in less than a week.

It is my observation that, in spite of the blowing and drifting, snow up to eighteen inches was handled by street and highway crews very calmly. One day everything was shut down by the cold and wind and snow, the next day the people who clear our streets were busy moving snow. By the second day after the storm, people were clearing walks and paths and going about their business.

The human spirit seems to handle well what mother nature does to it. Too much moisture, too little moisture, heavy winds and crippling storms are met with a calm attitude. Part of that attitude is that we cannot do anything about what is happening and the rest is an understanding that some of the time things are good and the goodness will be back.

Mother Nature is a dependable force. We can count on its certainities. That is why we can react to storms of nature calmly and when the storm is over go on with our lives. Sometimes storms leave severe damage, but people go about efforts that repair and restore. Stark County folks need to be grateful for the calm ways we go about restoring and repairing damages.

SourGrapesAndSaddleSores
Created by KKris. Last Modification: Thursday 25 of January, 2007 22:15:48 EST by KKris.