10:37 – The snow came in overnight as expected. They’d forecast 3 to 5 inches overnight. When I took Colin out about 0800, there was about 4″ (10 cm) on the ground. There was no snow falling at that point, but within half an hour it had started to fall pretty heavily. We’re to get another 12+ inches today and maybe another 3 to 5 inches overnight tonight, tapering off Saturday morning. Total accumulation is to be 18 to 24 inches (40 to 60 cm).
I took Colin out off leash because I didn’t want him to pull me over. There’s very little traffic either on our road or route 21, and what traffic there is appears to be locals, all driving about 20 MPH.
I called Bonnie, our next-door neighbor, yesterday to make sure she was ready for the winter storm. She’s nearly 90 years old and lives by herself. She assured me that she was prepared. She mentioned that she has bushels of potatos, piles of canned goods, and large amounts of rice, pinto beans, and so on. As she said, she could eat for a long time from her stored food. She might not like it as well as her regular diet, but she wouldn’t starve. In most places, Bonnie would be considered a prepper. Here, she’s just done what almost everyone does, stock up.
Bonnie called Barbara yesterday afternoon to tell her that she was keeping an eye on me. I’d told her that Barbara was down in Winston and wouldn’t be back until yesterday afternoon. Bonnie had watched me walk out to the mailbox with Colin, and was worried that I’d fall. Barbara told Bonnie that she appreciated Bonnie keeping an eye on me while she was down in Winston, but that I did have my cell phone on me at all times. When she hung up, Barbara said that she loved having nosy neighbors that kept an eye on things.
Vickie, our next-door neighbor on the other side, stopped by here yesterday afternoon to check on us and drop off some banana pudding, which Barbara loves. I told Barbara she was welcome to all of it, and we could just make some more oatmeal cookies or cinnamon crumb cake for me.
I really do like living in Sparta, and I think Barbara does, too. Everyone we’ve met is nice. I plan to get involved in more community stuff over the coming weeks and months. It’s all about networking.