Oklahoma Winter




You’d Think It Was



Winter




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What it looked like right before the snow started.



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Middle of the day February 1, 2011



In Oklahoma, we’re pretty used to weather extremes. It’s not unusual to have a three inch rain pop up with consequential flooding or a tornado rip through 20 miles of farmland and homes. You’ve see the pictures of the ice storms that I’ve posted and the results of extraordinarily violent twisters. As I’ve pointed out, we’re a resilient group of people and many of us plan way ahead of time for all kinds of possibilities. The ability of our people to keep things running with “a piece of baling wire or twine” isn’t unique but keeps us ‘keepin’ on’. But even with our low-keyed responses to impending doom, it doesn’t stop our local weathermen from shooting epinephrine and revving their engines to morph into maniacal harbingers of catastrophe and certain death.


Such was the case this past weekend as the top meteorologists at our three local stations went into overdrive and excitedly announced that the storm of all storms was going to bring the entire state to a screeching – er – sliding halt. Almost suppressing giggles of glee, they attempted a serious demeanor to express the certain destruction that was ahead, but it was obvious they considered this event to be what made life worth living and their jobs finally legitimate.


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Blizzard or no, Mr. Fix-It still takes out the trash and is not ashamed to wear trashbags to protect his jeans from the wet snow. He is comfortable in his own frozen skin!



As soon as the blizzard hit on Monday night, the stations sounded their continual little warning tones throughout the evening and by Tuesday morning, all those in the tv weather rooms and on the roads, with cameras and microphones, were keeping a steady conversation that only needed a, “How bad is it?” “It’s sooooo bad that…..” joke. Embarrassed fools who attempted to travel in over a foot of blowing snow and ice and subsequently slid into 4 foot drifts, discovered microphones in their faces and the question, “So. What happened here? What is your name?” I loved one man’s answer, “My name really doesn’t matter now does it? And I slid into a snowdrift. Duh.” The reporter was kind enough not to remind the man that he was pretty stupid for trying to navigate the roads, except that the reporter was out there right beside him, having attempted to navigate the roads!


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February 1, 2011



And so, winter is again in Okieland, however, this particular storm HAS outdone itself. Blizzards are not a common occurrence here, but MOST Oklahomans were ready for this one and are snug in their homes in front of their woodstoves, fireplaces or gas heaters, drinking hot chocolate, playing Rummy and cooking some darned good dishes. So far, no reports of hypothermia or other weather related deaths. The groceries have been shut down as have the government offices, but no worries because most were prepared. I guess we can thank the weathermen!


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Sway kitty can’t figure out why he can’t see the birds at the feeder. Yep, that’s snow against the window. It’s really that high!






Stay Warm!



MB
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2 Responses to “

Oklahoma Winter

  1. GSWitte says:

    Where we live, we get two stations from Tulsa plus the three from OKC. Panic overload. I know that their job is to increase viewers and therefore increase advertising revenues, but after a storm like this I’m just tired. It seems like they look right into the camera with a tragic look and say “You need to go to the grocery and strip the shelves bare or you will die before Wednesday. And don’t forget to step on some old people while you are there.” I love our state, but sometimes I don’t love it’s TV.

  2. Yep. Just wait until tornado season starts again!! We actually had a grass fire out here where the neighbors all showed up to help. The news helicopters also appeared and hovered over the fire, fanning the flames!! News crews in vans came too and when we and all of our neighbors got the fire stopped before any fire dept arrived, the news crews looked downright disappointed! No mayhem and destruction to report!!