Let it snow....
That's right, it's snowing, again! We woke up this morning to 6 inches of snow and it has snowed all day. The temperature has dropped to 20 degrees and there have been around 25 accidents on I40. That doesn't include the ones in town and on the other roads leading out of Gallup. It is supposed to keep doing this through late Monday. I thought Gallup was a desert, well I guess it's really high desert, but darn it's cold.
Last Monday evening I was called for a Search and Rescue mission. Actually I was called for 2, but I can only do one at a time so another guy took one of them. It had started snowing about 5 p.m. and the gentleman I was in charge of looking for had gone out in the morning to pick pinon nuts (pine nuts). They are selling for about $15.00 a pound in Albuquerque. This was the 5th search for a pinon picker that I've had in the last month. Three of them found their own way out, but 2 days before Halloween, it was snowing and caught a woman off guard and she spent a cold, wet night in the boonies until we found her at 5:30 in the morning.
This search, it was snowing and blowing like crazy. Visibility was about 10 ft. We had a bonfire going, but you couldn't see it until you were almost stepping in it. We looked during the night, but it was pretty fruitless because of the lack of visibility. So at first light, I had 3 teams in the field looking for any kind of sign. The state policeman who stays with us during searches went back down to the main road to direct the dog team and other teams to where we were. As he pulled onto the main road, he saw an older man walking down the road and asked him what his name was. It was our guy. He was a smoker and had built a fire and stayed warm, then started walking when it got light. He was pretty funny. He wasn't hurt, just a little cold and his only complaint was that he wanted to ride in the helicopter. So, all's well that ends well. I was worried that we wouldn't find this guy alive so was very grateful that he was okay.
Anyway, this is the third snow storm of the season and it's not even winter yet. We need the moisture, but the black ice we could do without. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and made it home safe and sound.
Our Lady stands guard over us even through the worst storms. Thank God for Her intercession.
Last Monday evening I was called for a Search and Rescue mission. Actually I was called for 2, but I can only do one at a time so another guy took one of them. It had started snowing about 5 p.m. and the gentleman I was in charge of looking for had gone out in the morning to pick pinon nuts (pine nuts). They are selling for about $15.00 a pound in Albuquerque. This was the 5th search for a pinon picker that I've had in the last month. Three of them found their own way out, but 2 days before Halloween, it was snowing and caught a woman off guard and she spent a cold, wet night in the boonies until we found her at 5:30 in the morning.
This search, it was snowing and blowing like crazy. Visibility was about 10 ft. We had a bonfire going, but you couldn't see it until you were almost stepping in it. We looked during the night, but it was pretty fruitless because of the lack of visibility. So at first light, I had 3 teams in the field looking for any kind of sign. The state policeman who stays with us during searches went back down to the main road to direct the dog team and other teams to where we were. As he pulled onto the main road, he saw an older man walking down the road and asked him what his name was. It was our guy. He was a smoker and had built a fire and stayed warm, then started walking when it got light. He was pretty funny. He wasn't hurt, just a little cold and his only complaint was that he wanted to ride in the helicopter. So, all's well that ends well. I was worried that we wouldn't find this guy alive so was very grateful that he was okay.
Anyway, this is the third snow storm of the season and it's not even winter yet. We need the moisture, but the black ice we could do without. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and made it home safe and sound.
Our Lady stands guard over us even through the worst storms. Thank God for Her intercession.
posted by Kitty at 8:18 PM
8 Comments:
I read your comment on Endless' blog regarding your daughter visiting TAC... enjoying the classroom style but feeling a little wild and unorthodox in thought and way of dressing. I can't say that I blame her at all; when I first arrived I felt exactly that way... I thought all the girls were wearing the most rediculous dresses made from table clothes and their grandma's old curtains. Though once I had been at TAC for a week or two I quickly found the people with whom I knew I would be comfortable. For me it was the grundgy kids who just wanted to sit on the beach every friday night with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other and wait for the sun to rise on saturday morning before returning to campus. But hey, you read all of our blogs! Most of us in this little web are not exactly the calm poster children that one would expect to find at TAC! Just thought I would comment, because I was very, very hesitant when I first headed out to TAC - positive that I would not make even one friend actually - But now, even with the fact that I am not graduating from TAC, I am still very glad that I made the decision to attend. My whole time there was one great experience that I am very glad not to have missed.
Also, I wish I was still out there, it could have been cool to meet your daughter and show her around. A proper visit to TAC involves at least 1 Tequilla shot... so then again maybe you are glad that I wasn't their to meet your daughter and show her around.
Rayna, I know what you mean about the campus. When I first saw it with Pat I wasn't sure he would like it. But he did! I know from reading the blogs that it is a pretty normal campus as far as most of the kids go, but there sure are a lot of rules. I wanted to see Pat's dorm room his junior year and it took an act of congress to get them to let me in. Actually it took me explaining to a mother who is also a teacher that I wanted to be able to visualize him in his room when I was talking to him on the phone. She understood what I meant and I got to go in the dorm. Liz would love the reading and writing as that is something that she has always loved and done well at. But, the rules would probably get her kicked out in the first semester. And she would be one of the ones sitting smoking and drinking on the beach and elsewhere. I don't like that she's doing some of that now, mostly because she's underage and it's a very small town. The kind of town where so and so sees one of your kids doing something and calls to let you know. And I do want to know, but it's hard to stop someone who is almost 18 from experimenting with different things.
I'm sorry you won't be graduating from there and if you ever need to talk privately about things with someone, you have my email. I know that God has great plans for you and there is a reason why things happen the way they do.
And I would have loved for you to meet my daughter, heck, I want to meet you myself. Aren't you in Dallas? Or do I have the wrong person? My youngest is on the 1989 girls Soccer Olympic Development Team for NM and if she gets chosen for this particular tournament, it will be in Dallas the first part of June. And I'm sure Liz would love to take shots of tequila with you anytime on one condition: I get to do it too! Thanks for writing and I really do hope we can meet someday soon. God Bless, Kitty
Forgive my Northeastern geographical chauvinism, but... SNOW IN NEW MEXICO?!?
Yeah, I know the desert can get cold, but it's dry, too, right? Sigh. What I don't know about NM could fill a book...
Michael
Oh yes! Normally very dry. But we are in a high desert, 6500 ft. Surrounded by the wonderful allergy causing trees and schrubs like cottonwood, juniper and sage. Allergy Docs. do well here.
But, we are also surrounded by some canyons and once a storm gets stuck in here, it can go around in circles several times before it goes elsewhere.
Now if you really want some excitement for your little one, come in August to the Intertribal Ceremonial. There are dances, parades and rodeos. Kids love it! And when Benjamin gets a little older, I'll send you a book for him to color in and read about all the many Native American tribes in this area.
Cheers, Kitty
Yes, I am in Dallas and I would love to meet about with you guys if you ever over here. We could maybe get Chim and Eintired in on it too ;)
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man, i live in northern oregon and there's not even enough snow on mt hood (12,000 ft) to go boarding yet. i guess they started making fake snow the other day. my sister's BF (whose fan club i have not joined) was all excited about seeing snow, but no luck with that on this trip (the snow, or the me joining his fan club thing). anyways.
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