Sharon Kennedy: Betting against the odds
Two weeks ago November showed us who was boss when the skies opened up and dumped a layer of snow on everything. I took a chance and left my car in the driveway instead of in the garage. I was betting against the odds that Jim Lehocky was mistaken and the snow he forecast would bypass us, but as you know by now, I was wrong. I awoke on Election Day to the heavy white stuff burying whatever was in its wake.
I kept waiting for the snow to stop falling. I reasoned the temperature was rising and figured the sun would melt the first snow of the season, but again I was out of luck. It was past noon when I finally decided to brush off my car and put it in the garage. I wish I could say that’s where it will stay until the 30th of April, but I suppose I’ll have to make at least a couple trips to Brimley or the Soo long before then if for no other reason than to purchase eggs and fresh vegetables.
In this age of electronic media, shopping online eliminates the need to venture out on treacherous roads. When winter descends and north winds blow, I’m glad I can order most of what I need from the information highway known as the Internet. I’m sure some folks will freak out when I say that because they want us to buy from local stores. I agree except when it comes to the many months of snow, sleet and ice that make driving conditions hazardous. It’s one thing if we live within walking distance of a store. It’s an entirely different matter when we have to face the elements and drive to town.
It’s not because I’m getting on in years that I don’t like to be on the road during winter. I’ve always been a chicken in that department. Decades ago when I worked in downtown Detroit, I never drove my car. I walked to the nearest bus stop and let the driver do the driving. When I was director of public relations at Madonna College in Livonia, I had no choice but to drive. There was no bus service from Grosse Point so after the first snowfall, I stayed in a dorm room on campus and sublet my apartment. I had no intention of spending 75 minutes or more on freeways when I could live a few steps from my office. So you see, I’ve always dreaded driving when road and weather conditions were less than perfect to my way of thinking.
Many days will have passed before this column runs. By then we might have two feet of snow on the ground or we might have a white deer season. Years ago hunters wanted lots of snow so tracking the deer was easy. Now that hunting is done from the comfort of a well-baited blind or the warmth of a back porch, snow has become irrelevant. Hunters no longer drive the bush, and the sport has gone out of the game. The deer don’t stand a chance. They’re picked off while nibbling sugar beets, carrots or corn.
It’s rarely a good idea to bet against the odds. Deer aren’t smart enough to realize that, but I should be. So the next time Lehocky says snow is coming, my car’s going in the garage and I’m staying put until spring.
To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Sharon Kennedy: Betting against the odds
