10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

APRIL 2007 TRUCKER TALK
SPRING IS FINALLY IN BLOOM
By Writers and Owner Operators Rod & Kim Grimm

After the strange winter we’ve had this year, spring is going to be very welcome! Denver had a very white Christmas (snow was recorded in feet) while the Northeast and Midwest enjoyed a very mild start to the season. The Northwest was nearly washed away with flooding rains, and then, near the end of January, the snow finally came – everywhere – or so it seemed. And what had been a very tame winter, took a turn.

Since the end of January, the snow has been falling everywhere. Can you imagine the kids in Tucson, Arizona telling their kids about the day they made a snowman in front of their desert home? We were happy not to be on I-10 that day! Understandably, Tucson doesn’t have snow removal equipment – they use the “wait until it melts” method.

On Ground Hog Day (February 2nd), Punxsutawney Phil predicted spring was almost here – the ground hog didn’t see his shadow. But like the weathermen are sometimes, the ground hog, too, was WRONG. Winter was just getting started in most places, and ten days later the “Valentine’s Day Blizzard” struck. The South was hit with tornados and cold, freezing some of the fruit trees, and many of the Midwest states were covered in ice for days. Snow stranded motorists on I-78 in Pennsylvania for 24 hours. Snow and ice forced many airports and interstates to close, making it virtually impossible to travel. At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, several JetBlue airplanes were actually frozen to the tarmac, stranding passengers aboard for as long as 10 hours. Burlington, Vermont recorded a record 24-hour snowfall, with 27.6 inches, while Stowe, Vermont saw an accumulation of 48 inches (just from this one storm).

I couldn’t resist calling our friend Pete when we were in Las Vegas and it was going to be in the 60’s, while he was bundling up in Florida to go to the Daytona 500. It was a bit chilly there. What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t return the favor he’s done for us so many times? He likes to call us when he knows we’re in Wyoming, and it’s freezing, and he’s in Florida, where it’s nice and warm. He knew when I called it was payback time, and we both got a good chuckle.

Back home in Iowa, officials were worried it wasn’t going to get cold enough to kill the mosquitoes. But a few weeks with below zero temperatures took care of that. And last week, near where we live in Iowa, another snow and ice storm hit and closed interstates and gave power companies three years worth of work to do in two weeks. Luckily, the city we live in has backup generators, so we were without power for only 20 minutes. We were the only city in the county with power.
Talking with Karen Zander, she told me that her husband Harvey had been in Iowa on both of the weekends that it had snowed. Their truck “Icy Blue 2” was truly icy (it was literally covered with ice – for real). We decided Harvey shouldn’t come to Iowa a third weekend and he was in total agreement. He didn’t come, and it didn’t snow. Thanks Harvey.

Snow on Donner Pass this year has been waist high on me almost all winter, but it’s usually as high as our trailer (I can’t complain about that at all). This last storm dumped a pretty good amount up there on I-80, but it’s not going to last long, as California is now seeing record HIGH temperatures!

Why is it that our favorite seasons, fall and spring, always go fast, while winter and summer seem to go on forever? Fall, with the trees so beautifully colored and warm days and cool nights, never lasts long enough. Likewise, spring is too short, but with it comes the promise of warmer (and drier) weather. I think most of us are ready for spring – we’re tired of winter and itching to get out in our gardens and soak up some sun. We’ve started to see the evidence that spring is here, in California, at least, where flowers and trees are popping, budding and blooming all over the place!

All around the outskirts of Sacramento, CA on I-80, the ditches have clumps of beautiful daffodils. I always think of my best friend Sandee when I see them, and can’t wait to pass along the news of their arrival to her. The hills are beginning to turn green – wouldn’t it be nice if they stayed that way all summer? I bet the firemen wish they did, too. The fresh spring air and warmer temperatures makes you want to open the windows and take in all the smells of the season. Just like the pine scent on top of Donner, they can’t manufacture an air freshener that compares to these wonderful spring scents.

The groves near Modesto and down that way are covered in pink and white blossoms and look spectacular! When the blossoms fall away and cover the ground, it looks like white and pink snow. Shortly following, the branches will start budding, suiting up the orchards in a wonderful bright green. In a park along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, a weeping willow was dripping with lush green, and the smell of freshly-mowed grass made us think about getting our lawn mower serviced early so we’d be ready when it starts growing back home.

Running out west like we do, lets us enjoy spring for a little bit longer – watching it start in California and work its way east. When we used to run all 48 states, I can remember being down in the south and watching it (the spring bloom) move north. I’m sure the medians are now filling up with those gorgeous red flowers down on I-10 in Florida and the Blue Bonnets are popping up in Texas. I heard some talk about the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C., so spring must really be coming. And who knows what the summer will bring.

This weekend, as I write this column, Los Angeles was already seeing temperatures in the 90’s. If we could manipulate the weather, we wouldn’t have to drive a truck. You need rain, no problem – a little snow, okay. But since that’s not the case, we’ll have to make the best of what we get. Like the song says, “What ever will be, will be.”

Be sure to slow down and stay safe when the spring rain storms come, as some people who slow down for snow and ice sometimes forget that the rain-slicked road can be just as dangerous – look out for them! Enjoy the free “fireworks” shows that the lightening will surely provide, and roll down your truck’s windows and use what we used to call the 2/55 air conditioner – two windows down at 55 mph. Treasure the fresh spring air for the little while that it’s here. We wouldn’t be surprised if a sweltering summer is soon to follow.