Winter at last!

A winter storm warning was issued for the area in which we found ourselves this past Thursday until Friday morning.  We saw/heard the prediction and wondered, would it actually do anything?  Up to that point, it seemed that winter had not been spotted with the naked eye anywhere in our approximate vicinity.  Snow was a distant memory, a figment of the meteorologists' imagination, a form of precipitation that only fell in more northerly areas.  We heard the children talk excitedly about sledding and snowmen and hoped that they would not be disappointed.  We made it to our lunch appointment with no sign of falling flakes.  In the middle of our meal, someone announced, "It's snowing."  Everyone at the table turned to look out the window.  Indeed, the report was accurate.  We finished our delicious meal and visited.  All the while, the snow was falling.  Before long, it was decided that we should head on to our next lodging before things got "too bad."  What we would later discover (too late) was that it was already "too bad."  My friend, Sharon R., and I spent the next hour and 45 minutes driving at a snail's pace to our "supper and the night" destination.  (The trip wasn't supposed to take that long!)  Every five miles or so, I would hop out of the car to de-ice the windshield wipers so I would be able to see for a couple of minutes.  Then we would drive again until it would get so bad I couldn't tell where the road was anymore.  Each time I got out of the car, I would hope that whoever came up behind me would see our car in time to get stopped before plowing into us.  Not the most comfortable feeling in the world!  Anyway, we'll cut the drama short and just say that we were relieved to make it safely to our home for the night.  The winter storm predictors had it right this time!