Spring Snow

Growing up in Wisconsin, snow into May was not unheard of. Memorial Day regularly involves winter coats, and I had a field trip canceled thanks to icy conditions at the end of May one year (not school, mind you, just the field trip – I had something like three snow days in Wisconsin, and most of those were thanks to the frigid cold rather than the snow). So, yes, Wisconsin is as cold as you think it is. Which is why I enjoy living somewhere that is comparatively balmy (note: Southern Indiana is not balmy in any sense of the word this time of the year).

None of this explains why I decided to head to Cleveland in the winter.

That explanation is easy – I went to visit my friend Katie and her husband Justin, as previously noted. The drive to Cleveland, while involving a few flurries, was happily (and, surprisingly, based on previous trips to Cleveland in the winter) easy and snow/ice danger-free.

This is where the Spice Girls would live if they lived in Indiana. Also? I take a picture of this sign pretty much every time I drive past it, because this joke about the Spice Girls amuses me to no end, even though it’s really only funny to me.

Choppy was unconcerned with the few flurries we ran into. Either that, or she was so happy that there was an actual back seat uncovered by camping equipment that she couldn’t help but take advantage of the ability to spread out and sleep.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Cleveland. Choppy did as well – particularly because she got to hang with Brego, my friends’ dog. Here is an extremely boring video of them wandering through the woods on a walk. I didn’t even attempt to liven it up with some captions. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And, of course, given the chance to dress up two dogs, said chance was taken.

Brego: not happy. Not happy at all.

Brego: Still not happy, though for an entirely different reason. Also? As Choppy is well aware, I am of little help when there is an amusing photo op and a dog is in no actual danger of getting hurt. Therefore, getting stuck between seats when I am around will most definitely subject you to a photo op and subsequent Internet humiliation. In related news, it’s probably a good thing I don’t have kids, or I would be equally likely to take pictures of them in embarrassing situations to post on the Internet, rather than helping them to get out of said embarrassing situations.

While the drive to Cleveland was easy, the drive home? Not so much. I was planning on visiting people near Cleveland on my way home, but the weather map put the kibosh on that, as it appeared I would have one chance to get from Cleveland to Terre Haute while avoiding two snowstorms, and that meant getting on the road quickly after brunch.

Turns out, I definitely did not miss the second of the snowstorms, though after a great deal of cursing at the weather, other drivers and the apparent lack of any snow plows actually plowing the roads, Choppy and I made it home safely and soundly.

A common scene while driving back to Terre Haute. Note: driving off a slick road is not funny, as I know from personal experience. Unless, of course, it happens to some jerk who passed me earlier going far too fast for conditions. Then it is hilarious (well, unless the jerk gets hurt, that would still be bad. But injury-free? Funny). Also? I expect that taking a picture of a car in the ditch while driving through a snowstorm is not safe (and which I obviously did in this picture). And would likely cause me to refer to someone else as a jerk if I were to see them doing it, and make me feel very un-sorry for them if they were to drive of the road.