In Alabama, the mere mention of the word “snow” closes the schools, delays factory openings, sends everyone to the grocery store, and basically radically changes the lifestyle of several million people who think a harsh winter is two or more days below freezing. Our fear of cascading out of control down a snowy road, submerged forever in a dark creek or river, is stronger than any natural urge. Having been surprised in some select years in the past by heavier than normal ice and snow coatings, we are easy prey for the panic, doom, and gloom forecast by our local television stations. Yesterday and last night was typical of what we see about every two or three years…..a forecast of the “big one”.

I pride myself in not falling prey to the hysteria that is our local weather reporting. I laugh as my fellow Alabamians rush to get 10 loaves of bread and 5 gallons of milk “just in case”. Unlike others I know, I fear no weather! Unfortunately, this time they even got me.

I live in Florence, Alabama, about 60 miles from our store in Decatur, Alabama. To make my way to work, I must cross one of three bridges or river damns operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal entity created nearly 75 years ago to manage the mighty Tennessee River and its water resources. TVA will close these transportation facilities at the drop of a hat, and when that happens, I have no way to get to the “other side of the river”. So yesterday, as everyone who dropped into the store talked about the blizzard of 2008 that was coming, I decided that I should spend the night in a local motel and eliminate the possibility of being stuck 60 miles away from my business, unable to do what I do every day, without fail…..open the scuba store. We had an open water class scheduled, we have a distinguished visiting guest from a major scuba company in today, and as always, we have the online orders that must be filled. So, for last night, I lived at the Best Western just down from the store.

Well, the Alabama blizzard of 2008 didn’t amount to much in our part of the world. A little sleet, a little snow, and a blistering 30F overnight temperature. Of course, that didn’t stop these gentle Alabama folks from creating chaos on the roads. Cars in the ditches, police cruisers everywhere, and not a gallon of milk to be found this morning on any grocery store shelf. All in all, we have survived here in Alabama. The Blizzard of 2008 will be much more interesting years from now when I am telling the story to my grandchildren. Prone anyway to a little exaggeration, I bet I will be able to tell it well 10 years hence.

Personally, I could kick myself for falling for it this time. I wasted $69 on the room fee, my skin will take weeks to recover from the scratchy hotel sheets, and Jan had to put the dog on the telephone this morning for his “daily walk” with dad. Oh well….time to go back to what we love, introducing a brand new crowd to this great sport of ours…..scuba diving. THEY will be able to say that they learned to dive during the Blizzard of 2008!

Phil Ellis

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