A Thumb Winter and Cabin Fever

Back from another white knuckle drive to “the city”, anything south and east of Caro is pretty much just called “the city” here in my beloved Thumb of Michigan.  I love winter, my favorite season, but, cabin fever is setting in even for me. I know everyone has had a tough one since Thanksgiving, polar vortex and polar plunge and ice storm and lots of snow.

Life in the winter here is different and more challenging than I remember in Detroit. It snows all the time, the weathercasters call it “lake effect snow”. We can see several inches a day near the Lake Huron shoreline and as far south and west as my hometown of Mayville which is on the Lapeer-Tuscola county line. So, even when no storm is forecasted you will be caught off guard.

Driving in the Thumb in the winter is awful. Do not even think about not having a truck or at least an SUV. We have lots of open roads that travel through wide expanses of farmland. The wind blows across these routes producing a drifted and icy mess. Dirt roads are everywhere that turn into ice rinks with any thaw. Plan on a few days before the county gets the plow down your road when you are far from town. The trip to the main highway can be very dicey. One time it was so bad I had to leave the car two miles from home because I could not get through the four to five foot drifts. Talk about a long cold walk, always have boots, hat, and gloves in the car.

But, at least that day I made it home. The hubby and I have been stranded many times either here at home or at work. The hotel in Cass City (yes there is one!) became my refuge during one blizzard. Rod has been stuck in Flint for days because travel back home was impossible. A long commute is the price you pay for living in the country.

 

350 Foot Driveway Demands a SnowBlower

 

A  generator is not a luxury. When power goes out here it is days, not hours. No water, no heat, no toilet, no fun. We finally invested in a home generator. This baby sits outside and runs on the propane we use to heat our home. Hardwired into the house and 10 seconds after the power goes out the lights come on.  Yes, it was expensive, but worth every penny. Every outage I have felt  pretty darn smart when my lights were on. Just the peace of mind when we have any kind of storm is worth it. No power here goes far beyond the spoiled food in the fridge. Think about hauling water from down the road for the animals and you get some idea.

 

But, despite it all the good far outweighs the challenges. We are close to Lake Huron which has special beauty in the winter and ice fishing if you like. Tons of open areas and trails for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Saginaw has a great park where we go ice skating. Seriously awesome sledding and tobogganing all over the area. Just a simple walk in this beautiful country can make all the difference. So, when that cabin fever hits the best cure I know is to take winter head on and go out and enjoy it.