17. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.

It's raining here at Milepost 606 on the Left Bank of the Ohio River. That isn't what they promised. They promised snow, to the tune of one to three inches. Once again, they were outfoxed by Mother Nature. But, they did provide an opportunity for endless promotions by the local media of the "next big storm." If history is any indication, the real next big storm will arrive on January 16 or 17, 2010. They seem to fall sixteen years apart. We had big snow storms on those dates in both 1978 and 1994. I am not sure what the weather was in 1962 but I do know we had snow and the temperature was in the single digits most of that week. But, not this year, at least not yet. We really haven't had any measurable snowfall which is not right. We have winter, we should have snow.

One of the new ways of telling when the government thinks we are going to have snow or freezing rain is by these new lines in the streets. Rather than waiting until the precipitation arrives, the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro has begun pre-treating our roads with some sort of brine mixture. The visuals of this are pretty cool. There are long straight lines within the driving lanes of the streets that have had the treatment. At given intersections, where both streets have been treated, a checkerboard pattern appears. It does work. I went out this morning while the roads were still icy, but on the treated streets (mine isn't one of them), the ice had melted.

But, it isn't snow.

Tomorrow, by the way, is my mother's birthday. She is a Hockensmith from Frankfort who has lived nearly all of her life in Louisville. She is a state government retiree and a most wonderful person. She is the most important person in the world to me. I hope her birthday is enjoyable and her 2007 prosperous and healthy.