We still have lots of ice on the ground from last weekend's winter storm. We reached 40* for a few couple of hours the last 2 days and should again today. Then it's back in the deep freeze till Monday. Next week looks to be much better.
Neither of our kids can get out to work. Our daughter and son in law got the truck out yesterday and did a Walmart run for things they were low on. The car is stuck in the yard. They got home before things started freezing again but still had trouble getting home the last little bit. The main state highway is mostly clear, but the one that goes to their road is still ice covered. Our son has the same situation at his house. One vehicle can get out with difficulty in 4 wheel drive. All 4 work for Tyson but not all at the same plant. In the past, Tyson did not give out points for missing work because of winter weather and bad roads. This time they are, and this storm is the worst we have had in years. I don't know what they are thinking. Schools have been closed all week because of the road conditions. They probably won't open tomorrow either. But Tyson expects people to get kids out in dangerous situations or leave them home alone. Normally our daughter only works 4 days a week. Thursday is usually her last work day of the week. But they are running production Friday and Saturday now. Those days will not get out of the low 20s for highs. I hate the kids to be out going to a the other grandparents on Friday. They will be going home at about 10:30 p.m. when it is going to be dangerously cold. And we may get a little more snow. The road crews are working round the clock, but the ice is a bear. Tyson maybe looking for a lot of new workers because they point out in this storm. Our daughter can only have 6 at her plant. She went into it with 2 already from having the flu. Tyson now gives 1/2 a point a day even with a dr note saying not to come back for 3 days. I don't know what they are going to do. I guess to will get off my corporate rant.
The local news said the postal service has temporarily suspended mail delivery in Arkansas. The roads are just too bad. We got mail yesterday and happened to see our mail lady at our box just before 10. Our mail usually doesn't run till after 1:00 She was only doing the main road and had to get out at each box because of the snow and ice plowed in front of the boxes. This was before the suspension was announced. We picked up a package from the post office and the parking lot was a sheet of ice. Nothing had been done to it at all.
We went to town because I had a dr appointment. Our drive and the drive to the main highway was the worse. Our drive is 1/2 long with 2 hills that get little sun. So far we can get back up it in 4 wheel drive. We put 300 pounds of salt and ice melt on the hills. That is helping . We can see some gravel in some spots. My dr visit went ok. My blood pressure and heart rate was up. I am not sure why. Maybe my back pain plays a part of that. My ears both have fluid. The one that is worse has a small hole in the eardrum. She gave me some ear drops to put in that ear. She wants the drops to get behind the ear drum so the little hole actually works to our befit. She also gave me a steroid shot for my ear and 5 pills of steroid to start on Friday. She said it may help my sciatica too and it has. She xrayed my back and only saw arthritis. The was some narrowing between vertebra in one spot, but no degenerative issues. She gave me a muscle relaxer to try. And I am going to start some exercises for back pain. I have a brochure that was given to hubby several years ago from a dr or physical therapist early in his back pain journey. I am to call the dr if my blood pressure does not come down. It is down some this morning. But needs to come down some more. My head feels much better today since it is down some.
We stopped in Kroger while in town. They were out of some of the sale items I wanted. They hadn't received a truck since last Friday. One had just arrived and they were unloading it. Lots of things were low or completely out. Meat was low, but there was meat. Milk was out. Eggs low, little bread, soda low, and crackers. We weren't needing anything but the sale items. I got what they had. They had no sale tags up. I asked about the sale items; if they were on sale. He said it was in the computer if it was on sale but the tags were stuck in Memphis. There were a lot of shoppers, but carts weren't full. A lot of the parking lot had been cleared but not all. The piles of snow and ice will take a while to melt. Some are quite big.
I am not sure what we are doing today. I may bake some cookies. And I want to work on taxes more. I am almost done. But we still need some items that are coming in the mail.
There are more and more reports of commercial chicken houses, commercial greenhouses, and peoples barns, carports, awnings, and sheds for animals, collapsing from the weight of the snow and sleet. I was surprised they are still coming down. We have had 2 days of some melting that should have removed some weight. My friends hay barn collapsed yesterday. She was near it but not inside, thank God. Their tractor was in it. They can't get to the hay to feed and don't have a tractor to move it with. Farm insurance has gone way up. I hope they still had insurance. I know we considered dropping our barn insurance. We did lower coverage but kept them insured. So far ours are holding up.
Stay safe and warm everyone. Have a blessed weekend.
