Blizzard

[W. Gray]

Centennial and a good part of Colorado are experiencing a blizzard, which began around 4:00 am this morning and is not expected to end until 12:00 noon tomorrow.

Not any ordinary heavy snowfall can be classed as a blizzard. Qualifications needed are winds of 35 mph or higher, considerable falling and drifting snow, and visibility of less than one-fourth mile. One southern town had two feet as of 5:00 pm. We have 16 inches so far but drifts have blocked our doors. I gave up earlier today as the snow fell faster than I could shovel it. I am the only guy on the block without a snow blower but no one has yet appeared outside with one.

All of the north-south and east-west interstates and feeder highways on the Front Range are closed, Denver airport is closed, and even the Denver Nuggets will not play tonight.

[Wilma]

If they were a football team, they would be.  I watched a little bit of a Denver game one time that the stands were almost empty and the snow was blowing on the field, but they were playing.  I didn't watch long.  It was depressing.

[indygal]

I do hope you and yours have all the necessary provisions. Be warm, be safe, and enjoy the company of your loved ones. It's going to be a very White Christmas for a lot of folks this year.

[W. Gray]

Everyone seems to remember that Monday night game which fell on September 29, my birthday. The ski people loved it since the thought of that one game brought a lot of people from out of state into the Colorado ski slopes.

Although a heavy storm that day, it was not classed as a blizzard.

Earlier today, the Bronco football players were able to get to their practice facility at an indoor arena in Centennial but are having to stay there overnight. Everything is shut down except for a few adventurous crawling cars on the Denver freeways. Centennial has 110,000 people.There has not been anyone down our street since noon and the post office even shut down and sent the employees home.

Both the wife and I are retired so most of the time when it snows we stay in anyway. Luckily we went to the grocery store yesterday morning.

[genealogynut]

I sincerely hope that you  don't lose your power.  On occasions such as that, generators are handy to have.  We'll be thinking of you.

[Wilma]

Waldo, what year was that?  I think it was before we had a color TV.  Since the game was all black and white anyway,  I don't remember for sure.

[Janet Harrington]

Waldo,

During our little snow storm after Thanksgiving the post office employees made it to work, but the mail had problems getting around.  The Star Route carrier slid into the ditch and was there all night before anyone found him.  That made the mail late for a couple of days.  However; it was still delivered or what came to Howard was still delivered.

Waldo, what year was that?  I think it was before we had a color TV.  Since the game was all black and white anyway,  I don't remember for sure.

Mother,

You actually watched a Denver Bronco game on a black and white television?  I didn't know that you ever watched football until you and Daddy were both retired!!!!!!!!!!

[Wilma]

Hey, I liked watching sports, but your dad didn't and we only had one set then.  He never did become overly fond of sports.  He watched because that was what I wanted.

[W. Gray]

It is two o'clock and it is still snowing although it has lightened up somewhat.

Shoveling is quite slow. I am on a one hour on and two hours off until I get the drive and sidewalks clean.  Even so, we have company coming in tomorrow and they will probably not be able to get to the house because of the feeder streets which usually do not see a plow.

No mail and no newspaper again today. Both will eventually get caught up. Airport is supposed to open tomorrow at noon.

I dont rightly recall when than Monday night game was. I thought it was in the 90s but it may have been in the 80s.

We live in the city limits in a subdivision but we have Rural Electrification Area (REA) electricity. They have been quite reliable. Gas comes from Denver and we have not had a problem there either. But we have several sleeping bags left over from camping days that would come in handy if we lose heat.

I recall REA coming through Elk County in 1951. My grandparents were actually able to flip a switch in the kitchen and a barnyard light came on. Now that was amazing! Prior to that they carried kerosene lamps from room to room for lighting. The light switch was next to a humongous wall telephone. They had a sink in the kitchen with a handpump that brought water in from a cistern. The sink drain did not have a goose neck and emptied directly out on the yard. They had a bathtub but water had to be brought from the kitchen. The tub also empitied out into the yard. There was no commode and one had to walk quite a ways to the outhouse. There were always Sears or Monkey Wards catalogs in the outhouse.

[Wilma]

If that game was in the 80's or 90's, we had a color set.  I didn't watch it because it was so depressing to see those guys out there in a blizzard and I don't like blizzards.  I like snow that fallls fast and thick and straight down, then goes away.  My brother and I got stuck in a blizzard on the way home one day and had to walk about half a mile home.  Of course I wasn't wearing any head gear or gloves.  My hands suffered frost bite bad enough that I missed some school, couldn't play the piano for days.  Had trouble with my hands in the cold for years after that.  No, I don't like blizzards.