Well, the weather report is about the same freezing cold, snow and no respite in sight....We are all trying to stay in out of the cold and keep the stove warm. Everone seems to be talking about the weather and reminiscing about previous winters. The temperatures have been on the moderate side the past few years so this extremely cold weather is difficult to deal with.
I was talking to a friend of mine, Carter Isscas, and I asked him to tell me a few things about past years and how difficult it actually was. I love talking to him. He has lots of great stories and doesn't mind telling how it used to be in the "olden days" He's got more stories than Carter's got liver pills.
He is 79 years old and told me he has seen lots of big snows and three blizzards in his lifetime. The blizzard of 1936, it snowed so deep that his dad had to shovel a path to the woodshed in order to get wood for heat and to feed the dogs. He said the snow was up to his armpits and it was difficult to get through.
The Blizzard of 1977 also left a lot of snow and it was very cold. He said he had about 4 farms where he kept cattle and he had to go to all four places to feed and water the animals. He would have to break the ice on the pond in order to get water for the animals to drink. He said there were three or four horses and when he turned them out to get a little exercise they took off running and ran right across the pond.....didn't even break the ice.
The blizzard of 1993 happened when it snowed 4 consecutive days, March 13,14,15th and 16th. It snowed so much he couldn't get the barn doors open. He had to carry feed to the cattle. One of his neighbors asked him why he didn't use the tractor to haul the feed. He told him the tractor wouldn't go through snow when it was three or four foot deep.
He also remembered that in 1962 Mountain City TN was noted on all the National Weather Channels as being the coldest city in the USA with temperature at 25 below zero. At the same time Shady Valley was 32 below zero-- another friend said it was so cold when he went to milk the cow she had frost all over her body and instead of a bucket full of milk he only got about a pint.Normally she would give a whole bucket full.
I will be glad when it warms up a bit and I bet the animals will too!!!!
That's it for today.
Posts
2 comments:
Ah the winter of 1962. That must be why I like the weather in TX.
Seriously though, our tem was 24 today with a wind chill. But it will be at least 50 tomorrow I hope
Good post, as they all are
Nancy Salazar from TX
Love your blogs . I really enjoyed the one where Carter was recalling bad snows etc. I played baseball and basketball with him at Watauga Academy. Love your pictures, especially of Johnson County.
Clyde
Post a Comment