Friday February 15 2008

This is from one wind storm. The Road was Plowed the day before.

Funny how fast things can change in your life sometimes.

I mentioned that Bill the snow plow driver had called last night and asked if we wanted him to come in and open up our road so we could get our vehicles out. I didn't say yes until I talked to Joe, and then early this morning tried to call the cell phone number that Bill left to ask him to come and plow us out but couldn't really contact him.

Pretty soon about mid-morning we saw the big plow coming in Richie Road and continuing on into our place. It took a while for him to get to the house - as you could tell with the spotting scope he was having trouble punching through some of the drifts.

Bill is an artist with that machine, knowing where each part of it is within inches. Never touched the gate or power pole. He did a wonderful job.This is a gigantic machine with three different plows or blades on it and it was really pushing a huge amount of snow. It took a while but he got clear in to the garage door through the yard with it and cleared out the yard and the road, made three passes to get the lane pushed back. We visited with Bill and stood and then watched the process. The supervisor Butch had told Bill to come in and get our road open. We are VERY thankful to them for helping us that way. He had also talked to Frosty and Frosty said to come on in here. It looked like Frosty snowmachined up to the feedground to feed the elk. His road up there looks terrible through the spotting scope too and he will have a job opening it again.

Well..... Joe and I had been talking since yesterday about whether I should leave home and stay somewhere else for a while, where - is the question. He is sure the road is finished and won't be able to be cleared if the wind blows any more, and that is sure going happen especially during March. He is feeling very responsible, concerned and worried right now. He wants me to snowmachine like we always have, but I kept trying to tell him that is a really stupid idea, especially if I got stuck even though its not a long distance - not sure how my stamina would be walking home through the snow. I couldn't get the machine unstuck, I couldn't get it started with the pull start, I might not even be able to get through the snow and over the berms they have plowed along the road.

Dear friend Gina had read yesterday's blog and immediately offered this morning for me to come and stay with her, and after a little thought I called and took her up on that offer. She said yes, to come ahead to her house. I don't know what the plan is going to be for now except I should be out and with neither of us concerned about any complications at this point.

So after some lunch I began to get things in the house ready to be gone, prepared Joe a meatloaf dinner, and got enough packed to be gone about a month or so. Even to Vegas if it works out that way. It is going to be a hard time for both of us. Joe is staying there with the dogs. He took his truck out to the mailbox like every other year and snowmachined back in. He got stuck out there and had to get the machine out and I think he realized after all that I shouldn't do that plan.

It was a gorgeous day today. Warm and sunny. After you get out of our valley the pavement was dry all the way to town. I was loaded up and ready to leave about 4 p.m. and drove into Pinedale. It was a gorgeous drive and when I got to the highway between Boulder and Pinedale looking west was the most beautiful hazy blue and white view of the hills above the New Fork. I wish I had stopped for a few photos of it. To the east the Wind Rivers were piled with new snow and beginning to show the evening colors of sunset.

Gina had gone to bridge in Big Piney and hadn't even had a chance to tell Bob that I was coming. He was just getting home when I had pulled into their yard. I asked him if he'd talked to Gina and he said no. I said I'd come to live with them, and he was rather astounded, but quite good natured about it. Later Gina and I went down and got some take out from the Chinese restaurant for dinner.

So I'll be here for a little while. Like I said, will have to make a plan. Monday I have to go to Jackson for the CT scans. The oncology nurse had been calling this afternoon saying that Drs. Jones and Mulvihill in Salt Lake still wanted to see me. Why they waited all week since two weeks ago until late Friday afternoon to tell me this I don't know. But I said that I wouldn't go to Salt Lake now until spring, and she said she would try to see if the Huntsman doctor, Dr. Ward, who I was already scheduled to see me in Jackson a week from Monday could do the followup as planned. I know hardly any of them realize what it has been like just to get to Jackson weekly and probably didn't understand the intensity of my replies on the phone. I was pretty mad. Anyway in the beginning they told me my treatment would take four months, and if that is so I have one more month to go. It might change after we see what the scans say. I would like to finish treatment at Jackson where they are connected with the Huntsman, but now may have to think about going to stay with the kids in Vegas. So lots to think about and decide what to do? It was hard to leave home, and to leave Joe alone too. I told him as long as the road was o.k. I could come back during the day and help him.

I took some photos of the plow working on our road and of my car sitting next to the berm - which is as high as the car. When I get my laptop going (soon) I will download those pictures and put a few on the blog.