A friend recently posted the anniversary of this monumental snow on Facebook. How has it been 20 years since this epic event? Thinking about this snow brought back so many memories that I just know you want to hear about…right? Keep in mind that 20 inches of snow in North Carolina never happens. Well, it happened once so far in my lifetime.
The outside cat. In 2000, we had an outdoor cat named Fred. His full name was Evil Fred because he would hide next to the steps on the front porch and attack the ankles of visitors. A nice welcome, huh? I was not sure what to do with an outdoor cat and 20 inches of snow, so I headed to the local hardware store to buy a cheap litter box to line with newspaper so that Fred had a place to do his business indoors. He was super happy about this arrangement, as I am guessing you could predict.
The dogs. We had 2 big dogs. Bear a German Shepherd, and Flash a Lab. I wish there had been smart phones to capture what they looked like stepping off the deck and into that 20 inches of snow. I ended up shoveling them a poop path after the first day of final accumulation.
The fireplace. We were without power for over a week and spent the nights sleeping in sleeping bags (with the dogs) in front of the fireplace. We had so many fires that the grate bent in the middle. That’s a lot of heat folks.
Coffee. With no power, how was one supposed to get the morning caffeine fix? Don’t worry, we found a way. We would bundle up and walk to the closest grocery to use their bathroom (well water = only essential flushes and no way to wash hands) and get one cup of Folders coffee. It was gross but necessary.
Looking back, this was the closest to living off the grid that I have ever experienced. I learned a lot from that big snow. Here are my take aways.
1.Always fill the bathtub with water in case you need water to flush the toilets. 2. Have a way for the pets to go potty indoors, even if they do not want this option. 3. Turn your car around so all you have to do is drive forward and not turn around to leave the driveway. 4. Firewood is your friend, but use it wisely. 5. It is ok to only use hand sanitizer to keep clean. Save it for your hands. The rest of your body will be ok staying dirty. 6. Be grateful for anywhere you can get to by walking and hope that place has caffeine.
Now that we are officially grown ups, we have fancy things like a generator, propane portable stove, battery operated lights and fans. But I will never forget that epic snow event. Who else was around for it? Click here to read and watch a look back about that big snow.