I was not ready for the first snowfall that arrived last week and mentally it was depressing for me.
Knowing that it could easily stay and cause a very long winter made it worse. I had to get my mindset into winter mode.
What is winter mode?
I usually have projects that I leave for when the weather gets cold, but this year I was not there yet. After all it was only Oct. 23.
I still had some windows to put plastic over as our backroom is not the greatest. I needed to replace the furnace filter, cover the air conditioner and make sure my dryer vent was cleaned out. What on earth have I been doing?
My winter coat was still packed away and I realized that my very old winter boots needed to be replaced. My running shoes with the mesh tops were not cutting it in the snow.
My husband, on the other hand, is always prepared, which is the key word here.
He makes sure that I have the best four-season, all-terrain tires on our trucks. Wiper fluid is filled and an extra jug is in the toolbox. He gives me the best snow brush and puts a shovel under the back seat.
I'm not sure why I need a shovel. I drive a truck, I have a Hemi and I have four-wheel drive. I do not get stuck.
I needed to get serious here and get my winter bag in the truck, just in case I could not make it home or someone else was stuck and I would have to wait for the tow trucks. One never knows what might happen.
In this bag I have mitts, toques, a scarf, extra pants, a lighter, snacks that can stay there all winter and a blanket. I always have water in my truck.
I never go below a half a tank of gas and my phone is always charged. When I leave a place and the weather is turning into a storm, I make sure to message my husband and let him know I am leaving and which route I will be taking.
I seldom travel alone, as my daughter is usually with me, and it is always great having another set of eyes on the road.
Wildlife can be an issue in the winter. Although they are around all year, itg is more of a hazard in the winter with stopping time on icy roads.
Do you leave enough space between vehicles or are you the kind of driver that invades the space of the driver ahead of you?
If I hit a deer and you are in my space, I not only have to contend with the deer, but also with the motorist who thought invading my bubble was okay.
Not everyone enjoys winter driving, but they still have to go to work or do shopping. Be patient with those drivers.
The first snowfall is a concern with many drivers. Is the road wet or icy? It looks wet so let’s go.
I think from the end of one winter to the start of the next, we do forget how to drive, and it only takes one snowfall to bring those skills, or thereof, back to some of us, either on the road or in a ditch.
In the past month, there have been several accidents due to driver error or road conditions. That first snowfall caused havoc on the roads.
So please, take your time, use your signal lights, turn on your lights in bad weather, do not tailgate, and slow down on icy or snowy roads.
Your life is important and so are the lives of the people around us. Nobody wants to get that call.
Drive safe and have a happy winter.
