the beginning of the melt - ice storm tennessee january 2026

 

 

 

 It is February 3rd, and the ice has begun to fall off the roofs, but the road is still covered in it.  Yesterday, at the peak of the temperature, an hour before dusk, some bits of the road were slushy.  Other areas, mostly in shadow, were still as slick as the bottom of an enameled bathtub.  Today, at 9:30 am, no bit of the roads are slushy, yet.   And today is overcast, where yesterday had sun.  It is forecasted to rain a bit this afternoon, as well - we will see what happens.  I loaded the propane tanks into the car, and a box of salt and a couple of bottles of water.

I walked out to the 600 hill again, which is halfway to the highway from us, about two miles there and back.  I saw a blood trail where something, perhaps a deer, had crossed the road.  My hound went nose-down into the woods and followed it a bit, and came back to tell me it how it smelled.  I worried about her last night, when she went out at 1 am and didn't return until after 4.  I told her she almost had me planning missing posters with all the melting and falling ice and slick gullies etc, and the coyotes howling and foxes arguing that ring out over the hills.  The geese and turkeys have been loud - and I heard a woodpecker when I was out there this morning.  I saw a murmuration of starlings at the highest point of the hill.  I did not see enough melting to go get in my car and try the hill.  I barely saw any road at all anywhere, only where the one neighbor has had his monster truck in and out to check on his relative and then struggled getting it back up the hill to his house.

 I feel trapped and that perhaps I should be brave and just go for it - but I've also been down in the ditch in a much worse situation than I had been earlier in the morning, for trying such a thing.  And that time it was very difficult to get anyone to  come out and help even the next day - they heard where, and said 'no, not in this weather.'

Mark says 'don't go down the mountain until you know you can get back up it.'  Yes.  The only good thing about that is if these roads become clear, we can be certain almost everywhere else is.  Yes.  He has been cold all night (66 degrees) which is less than he can usually afford with his breathing condition.  We had a wellhouse heater and a heat lamp in there to bring it up to 69 yesterday, but for safety's sake had turned it off and turned the house heat up for the night.  With the propane, we keep it at 72 for him usually.

So, *blow air up forehead*  I'll get my walking in and go back out there again after another few hours.  Sat down and drew a hungry heron looking at a fish in the water before I set out this time. (below) with a bit of gold wishing in the corner for the sun to shine a bit more on this ice and melt it.

 

carrying too many bits while running

They're still forecasting snow for us on Friday - and it keeps getting bigger and bigger... the mechanic has not come and gotten the little car to look at the coolant leakage and overheating issue yet. I have been driving the mail truck - and did the bank yesterday after work, the feed store today (it was closed yesterday) and going to have to figure out some way to get a 20 lb propane cylinder tomorrow since the little car is down and Mark will run out sometime over the weekend otherwise. I've termed all of these extra chores on top of work 'quests for humans' to Esme in a conversation recently and boy... there have been a lot of extra 'quests' this week, and the quest time is limited because I get off work at 3:30 and everything closes by 5. And it's not even Friday yet.   

 

I really wish the car was working as well because Esme has to wait at the cold bus stop now with no shelter a half-mile from the house and the temps are in the 20s, and being a teenager she won't wear a coat (I'll just put my hands in my hoodie and use my breath). Most of all, I wish the cold weather would back off and we could have Spring.  Sure.  Yea.  Grandma was saying the birds were telling her it was going to finally be winter the other day.  Work is going well if I can just keep getting there every day - and then there is the post office on Saturday to get to, as well.  GROWL (at weather).  When I got home tonight I tried to clean out the back of the truck because Mark was sure if I just removed some of the junk there I could transport the 40 lb propane cylinder in it. But I could not find a way to strap the 40 lb. one securely, even empty, because of the topper brackets. I succeeded in cleaning out junk and soaking both of the knees of my jeans with questionable oil, mud, battery acid and who knows what else from the back of the truck bed.  

 

Esme took the 150 lbs of feed down to the garage for me using the sled, and had lots of paperwork to sign for her new semester which includes Spanish, Criminal Justice and Chemistry. I was in a 'frantic mood' (batten down the hatches, back off because she's spinning and getting it done but she's obviously a firecracker waiting to blow)  while I made the rest of dinner for Esme and I to go with the leftovers Mark already had started before I got home. I said 'en trousse se quoi' a bit louder than I expected and had Esme come out of her room and ask me if I was really okay.  I told her it felt a bit like I had been a fox chased by hounds all day, and that was the essence of what I had said - a bit like 'now what else in the world is chasing me'.  She said she knew that was a frustrated saying but she didn't know what it really meant.  Once I had eaten something, it was a bit better.  

 

It has been years since we called and tried to find out how much getting a large propane tank in the yard they would come and fill up was -- and the plumbing required to get the line put down near where the heater is in the house.  As I recall the price was very prohibitive for it being the only place we have propane in the house.  But then, it was easier (but not easy) to transport single tanks in the other truck before its engine blew up.  If I have some time on lunch tomorrow I might call them from work.  It will be another cold hectic morning tomorrow.  I've done French and Japanese today.