I live in the Chicago area so cold weather and lots of snow are the norm during the winter and compared to the East coast we've gotten off easy this season (knock on wood). I think Midwest driver's are some of the best driver's in the country when it comes tooling down the road in snow and ice--doesn’t mean we're immune to accidents, but as a population we seldom panic or change our plans when the weatherman forecasts snow. We bundle up, shovel the drive and head to work and school.
So snow had never been a big deal in my life--I grew up in Wisconsin--plenty of cold and snow there, too. What I'm not used to are earthquakes. On the 9th of this month an earthquake shook the corn fields not far from the development we live in. Around four in the morning the headboard on our bed banged against the wall and our two little yappers sleeping at the bottom of the bed began to whine. I though a plane was going to hit our house. I ran into the hallway just as my two teenagers opened their bedroom doors and asked, "What's going on?" It's difficult to explain how loud the rumble sounded, but you know it was loud if it woke teenagers out of a dead sleep.
I peaked out the windows--all my neighbors we're doing the same thing. I searched the sky for a spiraling plane when my daughter informed me that it was probably an earthquake. She then named the faults that run through Illinois before yawning and returning to bed--smarty pants. Anyway we were fortunate--no cracked walls or broken vases. But I have a new appreciation and sympathy for people who've suffered through much bigger quakes--I can't imagine how frightening those were. My deceased father-in-law survived the famous San Francisco Bay area earthquake back in October 1989.
How about you--have you experienced an earthquake or any wild weather events where you live?
Marin
A Cowboy Christmas Dec 2009
Dexter: Honorable Cowboy July 2010
www.marinthomas.com
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