“Sometimes things don’t go, after all,
From bad to worse.” – Sheenagh Pugh
The ferry docked close to midnight after a ride that could have been worse, considering the northerly gusts to 65 knots, heavy freezing spray and seas to twelve feet. I took Dramamine and fell asleep in the recliner lounge, sort of. The middle school basketball players (including three of my granddaughters) were on board and some were throwing up. (They did not take Dramamine) and many were watching a Jurassic Park sequel that involved a lot of angry dinosaurs- sea monsters sinking boats, screams , roars, and that dark, loud music of trouble. I would have moved, but the seat was comfy and when I considered standing up and trying to walk in the pitch and roll and the green-faced kids, pulled my winter hat over my face and stayed put.
And honestly? It was all really funny when you think about it.
My husband says I spend too much time worrying about things I can’t control, like the ferry sinking and just how frozen– exactly –are the pipes in our house? I made him text our son-in-law to fill the bathtub before he turned off the water main so we would have enough water for coffee in the morning and to flush the toilet. In the meantime, while visions of huge teeth and flared eyes danced in my head, my son-in-law had replaced the faulty valve he believed to be the source of the water dripping from the ceiling, not a burst pipe after all, and he was right—
And now, the latest forecast begins in all caps:
…COLD WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST
WEDNESDAY…
* WHAT…Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 below.
* WHERE…Haines Borough and Klukwan.
* WHEN…Until 3 PM AKST Wednesday.
* IMPACTS…Frostbite and hypothermia are possible if exposed to
these temperatures.
Tonight
Mostly clear. Lows 3 below to 13 below zero. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
Wednesday
Partly cloudy. Highs 4 below to 2 above zero. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 40 mph in the morning.
But I have soup on the stove, running water, and bread rising on the mantle, next to Mary’s watchful eye—
And that poem?
Here’s the whole thing: It is in Good Poems, Edited by Garrison Keillor.
