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When I left town a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea that it was so late in the season. After all, this is Texas where the weather rarely gets cold before Christmas and then only for less than a day. Snow may come in on the wind from the north, fluttering about during a late season football game, but by midafternoon the next day, we’ll be leaving our jackets in the back of the car, our warm hats on the pews at church, and our gloves in the baskets at the grocery store.
On the first cold morning in late November, kids will come to school wearing their new winter coats with the tags still attached, but they won’t even complain about them being missing until after Christmas. By this time, the school officials have gathered up the “lost and found” and hung them on hooks in the back hallway. They will never be claimed.
As an adult, I am responsible for choosing my clothing to serve me during cold weather. But it wasn’t cold when we flew out of Oklahoma City. We didn’t need a coat. I owned several coats and a box of winter sweaters which I was saving until a later date to transfer to my “active” closet. When I packed my suitcase for the trip, I tried to pack light so that my friend and I wouldn’t have to carry so much on the plane. I did pack two pair of heavier slacks, a long-sleeved cotton blouse, and three pair of socks. These were my cool-weather gear. The rest consisted of t-shirts, jeans, and summer pajamas. If those clothes got dirty, I could wash them. I had everything I needed.
We landed in Seattle for our first stop on Thursday night. The cold front had blown in on Thursday morning. It was sleeting on the plane windows as we headed to Eugene, Oregon. We were glad we were headed south.
A cold biting rain fell on Friday, and I joined my friend and her family as we shopped in Eugene for some warm clothing at the Goodwill store. I found some sweaters, a nice dress, and bowl just like one I already owned. My friend bought a coat and a couple of heavy sweaters. During the next few days, I bundled in a borrowed coat from my friend’s daughter, thinking I really didn’t need a coat of my own.
It snowed as we left church on Sunday. We were leaving Monday morning for the long drive home, so I returned to the Goodwill where I got serious about warmth. I found a good winter coat for fifteen dollars. The hat and gloves were reasonable and proved well worth the money.
It was cold along the coast, but as we turned into the mountains of central and eastern California, we realized, as the Donner Party had, it was going to get worse. Snow covered the mountains, snowplows worked to clean the roads, and we took our time feeling our way through the unexpected fog. One night it got below zero. I said a prayer for the people at Goodwill. I wore my light weight “cool” clothes under my sweater and my bargain coat on top… that was to bed. The next morning, we headed on across Nevada and the snow stopped, but the wind was bitter. The Donner Party should have taken note.
We drove through snow almost all the way to Oklahoma City where I picked up my car at the airport. By this time, I was wearing my hat, my hood, my gloves, and two pair of socks. We were in the south… in November. What is this world coming to… certainly not Global Warming.
