Stranded In The Snow On The First Day Of Spring

You can argue if you like. And I won’t try to convince you that you’re wrong. But, today, February 11, is the first day of Spring.

I started the day in Olympia, Washington. . .in the snow. I then drove south to Portland. . .in the snow, and then east up I84. . .in the snow. I had thoughts about getting to the nasty Dead Man’s Pass out of the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon before it got dark. I’m headed home to Pleasant Grove. I needn’t have bothered shooting for Dead Man’s pass. I didn’t make it to the Blues. I didn’t make Pendleton, about 20 miles from the bottom of the pass. I didn’t even make it to the Dalles. The snow forced me off the road at Hood River, Oregon.

Fortunately, Hood River has a Walmart. If you are going to camp in your car in the snow, a Walmart parking lot is not a bad camping spot. They have food, bathrooms, camping gear, and free WiFi.

The roads are closed in both directions. I couldn’t leave if I wanted.

I’m sharing the parking lot with at least a dozen semi’s and a handful of 5th wheel trailers. The storm is supposed to blow itself out sometimes tomorrow. I might be home tomorrow. I’m only 747 miles from my house according to Google. Utah has snow, but the roads are open.

I found it ironic that on the first day of Spring I was stuck in the snow. Now, you’re probably trying to do the math in your head and coming up a few weeks short of Spring. The calendar says March 20th is when Spring officially begins. However, the calendar isn’t a baseball. And that groundhog in New York isn’t a baseball fan.

Every baseball fan knows that Spring officially starts when we hear the four magic words.

Pitcher and catchers report

Today is the first day of baseball Spring Training.

Welcome to Spring! (Don’t forget to bundle up!)

Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.

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