Historic Winter - 1986

Shetland Road, north of Wild Licorice where the mailbox was located.

 The storms in 1986 were similar to those of 1978 (see this post), but the County and residents were better prepared to deal with the aftermath. After the storms in 1976, my brother purchased a rear-mounted snow blower for his tractor, and in 1986 between his labors and that of the County Road Department, Gabe's Road was kept open to the highway for the milk truck.

Nancy Stearns on Shetland Road, north of the mailbox.

Rosa Stearns checking the mailbox at the intersection of Shetland
 and Wild Licorice roads, west of the farm. The mailbox post was broken
 off by the County when they plowed, and here it is merely stuck in the snow
 bank. In the Spring, my brother John welded a metal pole on the box
to replace the wooden post. 

Gabe's Road south of the silo.
Any cattle in the fields for winter could easily
step over the fence. 

 In 1986, I lived on the farm north of Pavillion. My brother, Rich would come over on nights when the wind was howling and drive his four-wheel drive truck up and down the road multiple times to break the forming drifts, hoping that I would be able to get out in the morning to go to work. It worked well most of the time.

One morning, however, I could not make it up the hill on Disneyland Road in my little Toyota Tercel (shown in the top photo, the car was amazing and had the heart of a warrior.) I went back to the house and waited to see if the school bus could get through, as it had to come down the hill, and I had to go up. Once the bus came by my house, I jumped in my car and followed since we were both going to the school. The bus broke drifts, making it easier for my car.

At school, one of the boys on the bus, who lived on a farm across Five Mile Creek, called his dad and told him I couldn't get out that morning. That sweet man (Jerry Huelle) drove his huge tractor many miles to blade the road so I could get home that night. I can't even imagine the diesel fuel he used that day to clear the road. I truly appreciated his labors.

Following that morning, I kept a packed suitcase in my car in the event I had to stay at the school or at my Mom's.