Oh Sh*t, Oh Sh*t, Oh Sh*t

That's what Denny was saying as we slid towards the guard rail of the interstate overpass. Oh sh*t, oh sh*t, oh sh*t, as he eased the steering wheel this way and that, following the errant path of the truck.

When we stepped outside this morning to prepare the fifth wheel for the road, the hand rail was iced over, as was the truck and satellite dish. We finally had those icy rains that have been predicted for the last three days. The truck doors were frozen shut but we got them opened, chipped the ice away from all the windows, put away our things and started out. The road looked fine, but there had been little traffic on this holiday morning. We pulled onto the highway and fortunately weren't going that fast when we hit that first bridge and started our icy dance. Denny did all the right things and although we got uncomfortably close to the edge of the overpass, the truck and trailer finally straightened out and we started to breathe again. That's when we noticed a semi coming in the other direction with his flashers going and driving well below highway speeds. Okay, this wasn't going to be a walk in the park today. For one hundred miles we drove 45 mph on the interstate and there were only one or two folks who passed us. The good news is that the sun was out and although the temperatures never made it above freezing the roads finally warmed and the ice totally melted and we made it to our next overnight stop in one piece. The newest weather forecast is for several inches of snow overnight and tomorrow morning so we'll adopt a wait-and-see attitude as to whether we move on or not.

For all those to the east of us who have to be out and about over the next few days, be careful. Ice doesn't always show up well on roadways. Remember to take your foot off the gas pedal when you are crossing icy bridges and overpasses for better traction and take your time. We were lucky today. Very lucky.