A surprise in the snow

Oh yes, winter's here, at least for the short term. Temperatures here yesterday were more in line with Christmas time--in the 20s. We didn't get that much snow--maybe an inch. It's been snowing lightly for some time, descending at about a 75 degree angle due to strong winds out of the west.

Other parts of the U.P. got it worse, and school was canceled in some places. A snow day on Oct. 12!!! They were supposed to have a cross country meet here, but that was called off. The cross-county girls basketball game Thursday night went ahead as scheduled.

So I went there (the roads were OK), covered the game, did the post-game interviews, and then it was time to head for home. I walked about 100 yards to the car, put my camera bag in the back seat and opened the front door to get my snow brush. But the door stuck--much harder to open than before. That was a surprise. Does it all of a sudden need oiling?

I started the car to warm it up and then went outside to brush the snow off the windows. The back, the side and then towards the front. But when I walked around to the front, I saw something amiss ...

The car had obviously been hit--part of the front bumper had been torn away.

I was just digging in my jacket pocket for my cell phone, when a truck pulled up. The driver was an off-duty city police officer who had seen the car that hit mine, and then pulled away. But he had written down the license plate number. He called the police and drove off.

A few minutes later, a police car pulled up--but he was the only officer on duty, and he had to settle a "domestic" call first. He said that someone had stopped at the Sheriff's Department, reporting he had hit a car near the high school. He promised to be back in a few minutes, so I sat in the car, listening to the radio, trying to pick up the score of the baseball playoff game. I also got my camera out and got a few pictures. And here they are.





Well, that explains the problem with the car's door.

As I sat and waited for an update on the game, a car pulled up in front of me, and the guy (late teens, early 20s) walked out and towards me. I rolled down the window. He said he is the guy who hit my car--he drove off because I wasn't around (probably still doing the interviews after the game). I looked at his car. It didn't seem damaged at all!

He said I should go to the Sheriff's Department (just a few blocks away) to finish the report. But the housing around the front tire was connected to the section of the bumper that had been torn loose. I clearly couldn't go anywhere with that flapping around, and I didn't have anything to cut it with.

I was still wrestling with that when the police car returned. First he took a big knife and cut the rubber/plastic housing out from behind the tire with a big knife (which he got while serving in Iraq). He then took my information, and I was free to go. He said he could issue the driver a ticket ... but noted that he'll be in enough hot water with his insurance company. I said don't bother. So I left, and I got back home about 9:50, about 40 minutes later than normal. The car seemed to handle all right during the drive.

So today's activities will include calling my insurance company and maybe driving up to get an estimate. Then, late this afternoon, I get in the car and drive off about 80 miles west into the snow country (and into the wind) to cover the football game that night. When I get home from that, it will be about midnight. Then, at about 9:30 Saturday morning, it's on the road again to the other game I have to cover. Also in an area getting hit by the storm. The snow should be mostly over by then, but it promises to be a very unpleasant day.

Here are some pictures from the game there two years ago. It was played in a cold rain that changed to a wet snow as the game went along. Yes, it was windy, too. But our loyal fans turned out and even took pictures of themselves ...


The stat girls were there. But despite the garbage bag covering their notes, the pages quickly turned to mush. BTW, that's rain on the camera lens ...


And I got some snowy shots of the action ...





Unfortunately, I lost two of the best pictures--put them on a CD-ROM that now seems to be unreadable. The first showed the field as the players were leaving after the game--taken close to the ground, it slowed that the grass was covered in slush. The other showed my car--also all covered with slush.

So that's what's in my future tonight and tomorrow. When I finally get home to stay on Saturday, I have to defrost and then write all weekend. Life is never dull.

I just hope they (the deer, the other drivers, Old Man Winter) leave my poor, bruised car alone. This is getting old.