Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house
we go … I recently went on a reminiscing trip thinking about my Grandma Bernece
and Grandpa Olyn. When I was very
little, all the first cousins and families would gather at Grandma and
Grandpa’s on Christmas Eve to open presents. There was wrapping paper
everywhere and cousins and aunts and uncles and my Grandpa’s homemade ice
cream. Great memories! Years later, as the cousins got older,
Grandma and Grandpa would travel to the homes of each of their children,
starting south of Gilford at Uncle Leroy’s, stopping at Aunt Coleen’s in
Rudyard, hitting Uncle Merlin’s north of Rudyard and then to our house. We were always last because we shared the
same farm yard with Grandma and Grandpa.
That close proximity meant there wasn’t a lot of holiday travel in my
youth.
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| Safe travels this season to you and your sleigh full! |
Years later, as a teacher, I tried to make it home for the holidays
on an incredibly icy Highway 2.
Somewhere near Harlem, we tried to stay on the road as we passed some of
my students in the ditch. There was no
way for us to stop to offer assistance.
There were half a dozen vehicles in the ditch in about a half-mile
stretch. Law enforcement was there,
trying to stay on their feet. More than
once we saw an officer slide off his feet on the skating rink that hours before
had been pavement. It was slippery and
slow going – white knuckle driving at its best.
I have a few stories from other treacherous trips over the years and
over the river and through the woods.
Holiday travel can be one of the big stressors of the
season, so I’d like to share a few tips for winter driving. First, make sure your vehicle is road
ready. Now anyone who has seen me
driving around town in my fashionable Ford Explorer of the 1994 vintage may
wonder how I can even give such advice.
This is definitely do as I say, not as I do! And, lest you be worried, my rig rarely
leaves town. So, back to your vehicle …
when was the last oil change, tire rotation, brake inspection? Have you checked the fluids – oil, coolants,
power steering, brake and windshield washer – recently? Have you replaced your windshield wipers
lately? What about tires? For winter driving, the MontanaDepartment of Transportation gives this information on tires: You need good tread. All-season radials on a front-wheel-drive
passenger vehicle are adequate, as are snow tires on most
rear-wheel-drives. Chain restrictions in
Montana are most often put into effect for commercial vehicles. Studded snow tires can be used in Montana
from October 1 until May 31 and they are 218% more effective than conventional
tires. Chains are 630% more
effective.
If your vehicle is prepared, the next step is to make sure
you are. It is recommended to have an
emergency travel kit that includes a first aid kit, blankets, winter clothing,
whistle, tow chain or straps, sand, water, non-perishable high energy food,
matches in a waterproof container, flashlight and extra batteries. For a complete list see the winter survival
guide at MDT website. Another thing to
consider is having a fully-charged cell phone.
You may not have reception in all places, but keep in mind that
sometimes a text message can get out when a voice call cannot.
Plan ahead. Look at
road reports. Leave early and travel as
much as possible in daylight. Call
someone to let them know when you are leaving and report in when you
arrive. Use your headlights to be
visible – think of Rudolph guiding the sleigh!
Wear a seatbelt, stay hydrated with water as it assists with focus, and
stay alert. Take stretch breaks as
needed. Keep your focus on your driving,
not on passengers. This task is hard even
for short distances sometimes, like this morning as my daughter spilled hot
chocolate all over as we approached the school zone! Yikes!
Some distractions can be hard to avoid, but others can be planned for,
such as habits with cell phones while driving.
I have a friend who puts her cell phone in the back seat of her vehicle
just to avoid the temptation to use it while driving. Drive a reasonable speed for the conditions.
Driving slowly was never a problem for Grandpa Olyn, and it
seemed especially true on Christmas Eve.
Better to arrive slowly than not at all.
I’m certainly thankful all those years that Grandma and Grandpa arrived
back to our door safely. I don’t think
even Santa on his sleigh would have brought more excitement! Safe travels this season.
Below are some additional resources curated from the web for your edification.
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