The sleet and freezing rain started up right as I hit the city of Frederick last night. I switched over to the car's thermometer setting, and it said 40 degrees, so I figured I had a little time. In the five to seven minutes it took me to get to where we live just outside the city, I watched the temperature drop. 38 degrees. 37. It skipped right over 36 and fell to 35. By the time I got to our house - after first following a car the inexplicably went 30 mph on the road where the speed limit is 40, and then 40 mph on the road where it is only 25 - I was down to 34 degrees. It's always a couple of degrees colder out here anyway, so that's not quite as dramatic as it sounds, but still, we were just about to cross over the freezing mark.
I still have time, I thought, and aimed the car down the driveway. The top part was fine, but once I turned off on to our section, I started to slide. I got to the house, parked the car and ran inside, throwing down my purse, groceries and gym bag. I kicked off my heels and greeted John and Seamus hurriedly while I put on sneakers. Then I raced back out to the car and up to the top of the driveway, slipping and sliding all the way. And it is a good thing that I did, because if I hadn't there'd be no way I'd be getting out of here today. All it takes is the slightest coating of anything (today: Ice) and that driveway becomes impassable.
I think maybe I'm getting the hang of this country living thing. Although I'd be perfectly content if we could be done with the stupid winter weather already. We lived in our townhouse with its nice, snow clearing HOA for four years and I think it snowed three times. I move out here where we have to do all the work - and a lot of work it is - and I think this is the fifth time in a month and a half that we've had weather bad enough to affect the driveway. Not cool, mother nature.
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