Memphis Snowmageddon, and Yet Another Great In-Between Season for the Cordrays

Stay, or flee? What's meant to be, will be.

Every now and then, we are reminded of how far we have flown from our freebird life. This season has been no exception. When Dan extended his first contract, we knew we would be here in Memphis during snow season. According to the US National Weather Service, Memphis International Airport saw their 14th highest amount of snowfall since 1875 in this first storm of the winter season, a lofty 7.5 inches. Winter Storm Cora’s snowfall tally was the biggest one day snowfall for Memphis in 40 years! Downtown Memphis, located less than 3 miles from us, got 6.8 inches of snow. I am sure we met that total, and then some, here on the Island of Mud.

That’s my man, but not my snowman.

This is not a look one normally sees on the older Cordray set, and not one we plan to replicate once we leave this frozen kingdom. Knee-high flowered rain boots made it in a pinch, since the real snow boots didn’t land in the package locker in time. I guess I didn’t want to face the whole snow thing, to be honest. I never had to wear the ones I bought on our way here, so I didn’t realize that they pinched, and would NOT work in a pinch. Hopefully, the replacements will make it before NEXT weekend’s deep-freeze event.

I wish I had fully stuffed the leggings under my jeans down into my boots so I wouldn’t look like I was hiding a dryer vent at each knee cap. I never claimed to be a fashion plate. This coat is approximately 20 years old and looks as nice as the day I bought it, in Michigan, in the permafrost section of the country. It didn’t see much action in the out and about years. I hope to slap that baby in storage soon and not see it for a loooong while. I have a horrific brrrrr-allergy.

Not the best look in a sidewalk, either, EEEEKKK!

Hey, Jack Frost, vamoose! This is the Mid-South, not the polar ice ring. Geeeezz. I will admit that snow is gorgeous as it falls in fancy flakes or big, sloppy plops if you don’t need to venture out in it. Also, spectacular later on when it winks at you on the wee-hour dog walk, all full of glitter and glowing. I will admit that I sneered back, possibly egging it on. Nosireebob, no mas, por favor.

The pups, for their part, loved the beginning fluffy snowfall. Libby raced to the biggest magnolia tree to poop in the un-snowy section underneath, and then zipped around like her tail was aflame. Layla trudged along in the drifts but spent her best moments chilling for hours on the dry patio, comfortable in her thick fur coat. Once the top layer melted, refroze, and got crispy, neither relished the plunging through with each step and the chilled undercarriage whilst doing their business. Libby still expects an extra 15-20 minute mid-morning stroll, no matter how cold it is. She will refrain when it is actively snowing or raining, but otherwise there is no getting out of that adventure. Extra naps for all of us were in order.

I will keep this one short and let the pictures speak for themselves. Last Monday, as the first snow flurries danced through the air, we picked up our travel trailer and hauled her over to the indoor storage warehouse of our dreams. It was a moment of triumph and one that we have worked very hard for. Halfway there, Dan spoke for both of us when he said let’s stop and get the puppies and just keep rolling. Oh, that we could, we surely would.

At the moment, we are wedged firmly in the Great In-Between. Dan’s contract is up the first week in February. Negotiations are happening, so we will know soon if we launch next month or wait until August to be back out on the open road. If we are asked to stay, there will be shakedown cruises and local camping as the weather warms up. No matter what happens, we are still in packing and stacking mode as we work to downsize to a new and different mode of travel with less storage space. We have done it before, and will do it again.

Last night, I sat on the patio and watched a fairy ring form around the nearly full moon, nestled in wispy, feather-like clouds. I couldn’t help but be enchanted by the magic unfolding above me. I was blissed out, even with 3 layers and a coat on. I breathed a sigh of relief and sent up a prayer of gratitude that although there was hazardous refrozen snowmelt on the roadways, the sun had shone all day and would shine tomorrow. We are through the worst of it, and of course, we were well-prepared. That’s how we roll, even when we can’t roll.

Sometimes ice covers the camelia blooms, but that only adds to their beauty. For now, I will watch the snow and ice melt and hope the storm that is in the forecast for this coming weekend is in fact a mild one. Will we see the flowers bloom in Memphis this spring? That remains to be seen.

Yes, this is my art.

Yippy-Ky-Yay, snowpeople.

Stay frosty!

Brenda Cordray

The Desert Rose