Weather? Or not?

It was bound to happen. After getting us through four years of mild winter days, it was time for Old Man Winter to step up to the plate and hit one out of the park. The zero temp last week was the first zero (and below) since January of 2014. Can you remember the minus-seven (that's subzero) temperature reading on Jan. 6, 2014? Or a minus-four reading the next day? Or how about the last zero day recorded at the Gravette NOAA station on Jan. 26 of that brrrrrr year? It has been ... well, not springtime in the Ozarks the past four years. But we have been spoiled, no deep snows, no ice storms, no real flu outbreaks ... it was time for a bit of real winter to hit.

That's 'nuff of the weather stuff for this 'cuff. Let's move on to another "C" column. It may end up being a conglomeration column, but it's starting out as a confession column. Lemme explain with a question: Did you make resolutions for the new year? I did. Did you keep 'em or are they already history? Two of mine are history, that is, and I only resolved three. Not a very good percentage, so I must confess to ... well, here's my tale of woe.

My first resolution bit the dust a few weeks ago. I had ambled into the backyard for a short walk when something hit me on the head. Literally, figuratively, sharply. It was then something hit the ground with a thud after my noggin had slowed its fall. Longtime 'cuff readers probably are reading my mind. My first resolution was, "I'm not gonna mention sweet gum balls for a while this year." Duh!

Last fall the 'cuff had mentioned the sweet gum ball crop was small. Wrong. As I glanced down at my feet. there lay dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of those daggum sweet gum balls. Do I overstate a bit? I've already raked up six wheelbarrow loads of those prickly balls. There are more, more to come. Maybe zillions is a better number. Resolution? Maybe next year.

Resolution two occurred on a damp, dreary, misty morning a couple of weeks ago. As I drove to the post office to pick up the daily bills, I'll bet 'cuff readers know where this is headed. My second resolution was very simple, "I'm not going to hem and haw and rant and rave and especially not write about turning on your headlights when you're driving and conditions warrant that simple task: 'turn 'em on.'" Try rereading that sentence.

What hit me right between the eyes was the sight of vehicles of all types, cars, SUVs, pickups -- and even a vehicle with certain special-color lights -- all cruising along. I'm sure their lights really were on and the bulbs had unexpectedly burned out. So I considered ditching resolution two with a reminder that, at least when your wipers are on, the headlights should be on. So I hang my head in shame as I confess that I'm guilty sometimes. The Mariner lights don't come on automatically, and an excuse or confession are pretty lame.

It was a few minutes later I parked on Main Street in Gravette. I'm still having a bit of trouble getting at the correct angle with the new angle parking slots. The right rear vision can prove a challenge, especially with adjacent cars parked at the different angles. As I prepared to back out, I looked for oncoming traffic from the rear and I glanced again as my foot moved toward the gas pedal. My eye caught the blur of an approaching black SUV, almost right on my tail. Its lights were not on. That, coupled with the misty, foggy atmosphere, the drizzle on my rear side window and the silhouette of the adjacent car partially blocking the view ... well, I slammed on the brakes just in time as the black blob passed by. It was then that resolution two really bit the dust or rather the fog or mist or drizzle or black or gray or ... 'nuff. I'll try resolution two again next year.

There are still a couple of confessions to clean up slight errors which appeared in a recent 'cuff. One involved the location of Pond, a post office that was located southeast of Gravette, not southwest of town. The 'cuff mentioned the coldest temperature ever recorded here, or the entire state of Arkansas, occurred Feb. 13, 1905, near where the long-removed Pond post office had been located. The thermometer location officially was in Gravette. The federal agencies also had their problems in locating migrant thermometers in those good old days. 'Nuff of that confession.

Error two occurred when the 'cuff said that to beat having a car full of rain I had run outside to roll up my car windshield. Really? A couple of friends (really, they are) teased me a bit, wondering how I did that. Somehow the car windows had become windshield and if that had been my goal, I'd probably still be standing out there, dripping wet with rain while trying to get my windshield rolled up. Such errors in the good old newspaper letterpress days were attributed to type-lice that inhabited all papers and printing shops. Maybe sometime I'll relate my first experience with those little critters. Don't hold your breath.

Finally. Really it is. Something serious. Having heard reports of people falling through the ice on ponds or lakes, and watching kids and youth riding on sleds or skateboards being pulled behind cars, I'm ever reminded of the tragic accident that occurred 70 years ago when a sled, loaded with teenagers being pulled behind a car, was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Four of my schoolmates were killed in the accident that occurred just south of Sulphur Springs. Such a tragedy for the families who lost their children! Such a tragedy for the entire community! Such a tragedy for the drivers of the two vehicles involved! I've often wondered how such a memory would change the lives of those really innocent drivers.

This final 'cuff comment is a warning: Stay off thought-to-be frozen ponds and stay off sleds or other modes pulled behind vehicles. A simple slip or slide on a curve or while braking could result in a fun-filled sled being swept beneath an oncoming vehicle ... or even under the car pulling the sled. Memories of such happenings are not those anyone should ever have to recall.

Resolution three? I wish I could remember what it was.

Dodie Evans is the former owner and longtime editor of the Gravette News Herald. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Editorial on 01/24/2018