Getting yourself stuck and getting yourself out with a little help from a stranger.

Big snow. Big snow to say the very least. Yesterday morning we woke up to I dont know how many inches but some spots I was hope to my knees some spots I was up to mid thigh.  Luckily the night before I had parked my car facing out with one straight shot one straight chance to make it out of my un-plowed driveway. So I do my hair which consist of drying and straightening my bangs look in the mirror and say oh how cute. I then open the back door to a wall of snow step out to mid thigh snow try and figure out where the steps are and make it to the car. Start the car let it warm up a bit and survey the task at hand. Okay gun it keep it straight blow through the mound of snow at the end of the driveway and make it to the nicely plowed road beyond...best laid plans.  So I make pretty good progress but about half way down the driveway it occurs to me that I should check for traffic before exploding onto the road and in that one moment of hesitation off the road i went stuck on the left hand side in snow that is higher than the wheels. I go to open the door to see first hand the pickle I have gotten myself in and I cant even open the door. I sit I swear I start to laugh try to door again and I was able to open it enough to squeeze myself out into yet again thigh deep snow. At this point I am looking at a seriously stuck car and as I look around for help I remember you are in the middle of nowhere if you are going to get out its going to be all you girl.

I trudge back to the back door and thankfully find a shovel trudge back to the car getting wetter and wetter. I once again stand in the road and look at the mess I was in. I had my camera in my bag wish I had taken the time to snap a shot because it was pretty epic. So once again I think about the options open to me and I realize the only thing I can do is to start to dig and dig I did. My once cute bangs were now not only completely wet but also frozen onto my forehead. I managed to dig 3 wheels out but the back left one was stuck bad. As I stood panting and sweating leaning on my shovel I think to myself well maybe a truck with a plow will drive by and take pity on me...I scan the road both north and south and see no truck coming my way so back to shoveling and wheezing and laughing I go. Finally I see not one but two trucks coming both equipped with nice big plows and drive right past me they did. Neighborly my ass. So back once again I go back to the task at hand gasping for air heart beat at epic levels but it feels good I have a problem and I am not asking for help not playing the girl card just digging the car out of the snow.

So finally a third truck with a plow drives by and this one actually slows down passes me stops and then backs up and rolls down the window. I walk up to the truck the window rolls down and as I walk up expecting to see a guy but instead the prettiest young woman with eyes like a cat is behind the wheel. She asks me if I need help and I say yep I sure do. She surveys the damage and says not sure what I can do for you but I can at least push the snow away from the front of your car. She takes a couple of passes and then says don't worry I got myself stuck the same way the last storm I say but I was so close I almost made it! She laughs and says why don't you try and back up and I will see if I cant get that huge chunk of snow from under your car. I wade through the snow get back into the drivers seat and begin the old back and forth rock it back and forth and I start to actually make progress she backs out of the way and I continuing to reverse forward reverse forward turn the wheel reverse forward and finally I break free! I wave to the lady with the cat like eyes and plunge on down the road feeling pretty damn good.

I got myself into a fix and got myself out without asking for help without running inside to wake my husband and have him come out swearing and muttering under his breath and shout strange instructions at me that never make much sense. So instead I grabbed a shovel and dug myself out and with a little kindness from strangers was able to make it to work. I arrive at work about an hour and a half later soaking wet but proud as hell. Spring please come I am tired

Being depressed but going for a walk with the dogs instead.

Worries too many worries right now some of them are just vague fears that I am having trouble battling against and some are the daily worries of adult life. I don't mind being upset when you know what you are upset about but I don't like being sad, nervous and worried about vague fears I cant put my finger on. If you know whats pissing you off or making you cry or keeping you up at night at least you can formulate a plan. But if you don't know whats wrong theres no fixing it. So that was the mood I woke up too and as I tried to go back to bed with my head under the covers sleep eluded me and I realized that this was the first Saturday in a long while that it was possible to take the dogs and myself for a walk without getting frost bite or being lost in a snow storm. So in an effort to beat back the gloom I shut the chickens in the garage grabbed a leash for hell puppy Booker and took a walk.

Must say it worked I am still worried about what I have to worry about but I am up and writing and taking pictures it always helps me to create a little. And to be honest this is a busy time of year for me this is when all the planning for the upcoming growing year gets done the seeds ordered the crop plan laid out research done on new things to try etc. So in an effort to beat back the gloom and worry of winter (I always associate more worry with winter than other seasons....will I have enough propane will the pipes freeze will I get to work and back okay will the dogs and I go stir crazy) its time to plan for the glory of spring.

I attended a farming conference last week and I really learned a lot and got re-energized about farming. To be honest I was having some doubts this fall and early winter about farming and whether it was worth it or not. Something happened at the last market last year that jaded me and the funny thing is I cant for the life of me figure out what it was all I know is that I went into the day with my usual energy and love for growing vegetable but came out of the day with a bad feeling in my stomach. My stomach always tells me like it is I just wish it was better at communicating. I have spent quite a bit of middle of the night worry time trying to figure out what happened that day to give me that feeling and I don't know what it is but regardless attending the conference and learning so much as definitely put me back on track. I am not going to stop trying to figure out what happened to make me a little jaded about farming because I know its important and if I have learned anything in 44 years its not going to go away until I figure out what it is. So time to sign off and get the seed catalogs and spreadsheets out and to do a little work with budgets and all that good stuff. Stay warm everyone happy new year and I hope the year of the horse is a  blessed and prosperous year for all. Cheers. Here are a few pics of our little walk today.