Chain, Chain, Chain.......a CHAIN-ging moment.

I love snow. Yes I do. I can totally say that because I actually experience snow about.......3 days a year. Yup....it is the lack of snow in my life that helps me appreciate it's amazing qualities. I have a wonderful respect for the cold stuff. Give me a little bit...and I'm a happy camper. Give me too much and I get nervous and in some cases have been known to panic. In fact, several years back.....at least 8 or more, I was officially banned from snowy mountain excursions. It might have had a little something to do with shrieking....and thrashing....and demanding to be let OUT of the vehicle when the snow got over two feet deep on the road....but I'm not really saying. It might have had something to do with the crying and the pleading to turn around, and go home...but I'm not sure. Some people just can't handle a little hysterics. Sheesh.....

Regardless. I LOVE snow. (in little bits)

Sugar Bear has been completely and utterly deflated that we have not had snow in our neck of the woods. Honestly...it is a rarity to get snow here, but for some reason we have had snow that lasted about 3 days for the last 3 winters. So in Sugar's mind.....we should have gotten snow this winter, and we didn't.

A little over a month ago, I had the occasion to travel east for a business trip. There were several of us going....in a variety of vehicles. My girl friend and I headed over a day earlier than the rest of the pack, because I had an early morning session at the conference. We jumped in my truck, and headed out. We met snow on the pass....and had to stop and put chains on my rig. Let me just say that between the two of us...we had only ever put chains on a vehicle ONCE....and that had been exactly 5 years previous when we were heading to the same conference. We had been together then....and successfully put the chains on based on the instructions. This time....it went quicker (less than 10 minutes), and we were on our way. Thumbs up! The rest of the crew came over the next day and didn't require chains, as the storm as passed and the plows had done their job.

Three days later, it was a different story. We were all set to head home when a storm hit. We set out together, in a caravan of sorts. When we hit the spot requesting chain usage, I pulled over. Even though my truck has 4-wheel drive, I like to error on the side of caution. (remember the shrieking....and pleading???) I'm not a huge fan of driving in the snow, but for some reason...on THIS trip...my girl friend and I were the voice of calm and reason. The chains went on my truck in a snap.

And then.......we proceeded to install chains on the next FOUR cars behind us. Yup....we did. Not a one of those ladies felt comfortable with such a task. There was worry.....and fretting....and wishing a MAN was there. Seriously? You don't need a man when you have Corey and Kim. Us girls got it done, oh yes we did! Not only did we put the chains on the other 3 cars in our group, we did it for a lady that we didn't even know. Done, done, done, and done! My blue truck is in the foreground of this shot, and the two cars, and two vans between it and the Semi Truck were chained up by my friend and I.

Feeling a bit invincible we headed on out. What a beautiful drive it was.

I'm sure there are people who might laugh at my story, but for a girl who never sees snow....and surely never drives in snow, this was a big day.

Those people who banned me so many years ago from attending snowy driving excursions can NOT believe I chained up ONE vehicle, let alone 5. They are shocked that I casually drove on this snowy road....and actually took pictures while doing it. (They pictured more breathing in a paper bag, and head between the knees type behavior.)

Sometimes, if we just get over the things we don't think we can do.....we find that we are totally capable of big things. It was time for me to stop saying, "I can't!" and start saying, "I will, and it will be awesome!"

Now I can look back on these photos, and the say quite loudly, "I CAN!....oh yes I CAN!"

and I'm so very glad I did, because that last shot...is a memento of quite possibly the prettiest drive I've been on in a long, long, long time. Life Is GOOD!