Snapshots Sunday: Snow Bombs 2018
All photos are my personal collection.
Have mercy…two big snowstorms in one year. This is reminding me of my childhood. I remember lots of snow and lots of snowmen in the 70s. I also remember folks being more mobile back then, too. Anytime there was a snow forecast, my dad was putting chains on the back tires of the ’72 Charger. Everybody got chains and off they went. Even in the early 80s, a manual, front-wheel-drive compact would pretty much get you anywhere. My 1977 Honda Civic and my 1983 Toyota Tercel took me where I wanted to go. People just don’t do that anymore. Cars these days are definitely more fragile and lighter than the metal monsters of yesteryear.
I remember zipping around in the snow in the middle 80s (college days) in my Civic. One particular trip, I was headed to a friend’s place for snacks, movies and snowballs. I was approaching an intersection that included a railroad crossing (with roads and individual intersections on either side) and a steep, short hill on the other side of it. The light was red as I cleared the tracks but, my Civic became excited about the hill-induced inertia and my attempt to slow down (tapping said brakes lightly) only brought my ass end around. Just as the light turned green, I slid sideways, all the way thru the intersection. Once my Civic was done having fun (yes, I’m blaming it on the car), I came to a stop, hitting nothing…and, nothing hitting me…and, then, proceeded on my way. If it were today, I’d either be dead or, viral on social media.
Today
January 17
Majestic, mighty Oak across the street
December 9, 2018 at 4:53 PM
Try tying something heavy to the back of the car, say a fridge. Might help the civics snow performance. I can confirm civics perform well in Yorkshire conditions.
December 10, 2018 at 12:15 AM
A fridge, huh? Does said fridge come with wheels, also, because, if not, I’m imagining either spinning tires & no forward motion or…the loud sound of metal on pavement and an engine red-lining/whining.
The Civic’s snow performance was award winning. It said “Wheeeeeeeee”, I nearly peed, nothing was damaged and no one died. It was Oscar-worthy or, perhaps BAFTA-worthy.
How about Nissan Frontiers? Yorkshire suitable?
December 16, 2018 at 5:33 AM
Swiss Postal Services use a lot of little Fiat Pandas. They know a thing or two about snow and ice.
December 16, 2018 at 1:54 PM
I’ve never heard of a Fiat Panda. Sounds cute.
Our postmen have boxy jeeps…the only vehicles on the road with the steering wheels on the right side…besides imports.
Speaking of, I occasionally see this green, older MG with UK plates still on it (NC plate underneath) and right-side steering wheel. It is gorgeous.
December 9, 2018 at 6:05 PM
Your Adirondacks look like the real Adirondacks! I was in Jacksonville in January when the snow and ice storm hit. I was trapped there for three days because the roads were so bad. It literally came to a standstill. When I left I was the only one on the road until I hit i95.
December 10, 2018 at 12:24 AM
They are very real. One is my size and one is Ken’s size (for longer legs; he is 6′ 3″). Mine is a Cedar/Oak blend and his is all Cedar. A local craftsman made them. He is always at our local Farmers Market. When the weather is nice, I’m sitting in my front yard, journaling.
Ah, ha. So, you got to experience the FIRST Snow Bomb. That one was actually worse than this one. December snows, if we get them at all, are not as bad as the following January/February.
Just as I posted, above, when I was a kid, people didn’t stop moving just because of snow…and we got a lot in the 70s. Ice storms, too.
December 10, 2018 at 12:29 AM
I meant Real Adirondacks as in the Mountains! Sorry for the confusion! Looks like we’ll be keeping the snowblower, shovels and studded tires after all damnit
December 10, 2018 at 12:44 AM
*Sigh*
You know, it’s nearly 1:00am here. I just glazed right over your comment. Duh. I just re-read it. I was thinking “No. The are definitely not plastic. They are the real deal.” OY. Mountains. Yeah. Snow-covered.
I’m going to bed. GEEZUS.
Yes. Bring the wintry accoutrements. Only our coast gets the least amount of white stuff.
March 19, 2022 at 8:52 PM
You lucked out not hitting anything. Those cars were good in snow right? My sister had one and I liked it a lot. I would have loved to see that in real time lol.
March 20, 2022 at 12:01 AM
Front wheel drive… Oh, yeah. And, my 1983 Toyota Tercel was just as good. Both were tanks…no power steering and no air conditioning. My next car was a 1985 Toyota Celica and it was rear-wheel drive. It wasn’t quite as good. And, speaking of the Celica, it had a curious “glitch.” When the temperature dropped below 40 degrees, she would pop up her own headlights.
If anyone saw me go thru that intersection, they would have laughed their asses off. All I could think was “OH SHIT.”
The last time bad weather got me, similar to this, was in January 2015, just a few weeks before I went to Salemburg for Examiner school. We had some sporadic patches of black ice and I was on my way to work. I was driving a 2010 black Chevy Cobalt. I wasn’t going all that fast as I was going thru a residential section. I topped a hill and was preparing to stop at a stop sign. I tapped my brakes and just happened to hit a patch of the ice. Naturally, I didn’t see it. I slid at an angle, to my right and, of course, I hit a fire hydrant. I broke the tie-rods on the right front tire. I wound up going to school driving one of my dad’s cars (he owned three).
I called my Cobalt a Mark IV. That son-of-a-bitch had been marked on all four sides. I bought it while still in Texas and one week after taking possession of it, a teenager (most likely on her damn phone) rear-ended me, with her Chevy Lumina, on my way to work in the rain and drove me underneath a Mitsubishi Montegro. The thing about rain in Central Texas is, it doesn’t happen a lot and, when it does, it brings up all the oil on the roads. Fast forward to me moving in with Ken… One night, Ken tried to move my car and did a poor job. He was drunk, got into it and, his big feet and long legs didn’t work well in that small car. The driver side door was still open when he released the parking brake. The car rolled backwards and the door got caught on the brick wall. Later on, my key got stuck in the ignition and I found out there was a recall on that. That car was a disaster from beginning to end. I never should have traded in my F250 on that beast.
March 20, 2022 at 12:13 AM
Oh I hate black ice! That was awful… I was going across a bridge and suddenly in a Kia Sportage I spun around twice and ended up in the right direction without hitting anyone…I was really lucky.
I found the car I had…my second car was a 1981 Toyota Celica Sports something… kinda like this but without the coupe…the front looks just like it.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981-toyota-celica-8/
Dave and I talked the other day…and all together I’ve had 14 cars
March 20, 2022 at 1:53 AM
I’ve never spun around, once…or twice. I would shit myself and, then, get out and barf. LOL!
I remember the early 80s Celicas. They are cool looking, now. I wasn’t that fond of that style when it originally came out. Ray had one, too.
I’ve owned eight, including my current Frontier. Many of the cars I drove belonged to hubbies.
March 20, 2022 at 1:57 AM
The reason I went through so many is because of the distance I drive…I’m hoping that will end pretty soon.
March 20, 2022 at 2:25 AM
Still got your toaster car?
March 20, 2022 at 2:26 AM
Yes I do lol… drove it today and picked my sister up