Soon after Christmas we settled into wintertime in Delaware. as anyone who has lived here for any length of time knows, it’s a crap shoot. We can go years with just an inch or two of snow or have so much snow roofs collapse and we are snowed in for days.

Our farm has a very long driveway, the property is shaped like an axe, with the drive being the handle. Woods surround both sides. It winds between mounds of daylily, hence the name Daylily Farm. Up the drive about a quarter mile you see my house on the left. If you continue on the path, it veers around and Mom’s house sits in front of one of two pastures with ponds.

This particular winter was brutal. We seemed to have had an unusual amount of snow and bad weather. January is a notoriously bad month for homeschooling, monotony sets in and the kids are coming back from Christmas break. The weather channel was predicting a snow storm that could produce record amount of snow. Joe and the kids were beyond excited. Whenever there was a couple inches on the ground, he tied the sleds and snowboards to the back of the tractor and raced down the drive with the kids falling being pulled behind.

The days are spent with one eye on their studies, one eye on the weather. We woke up to a winter wonderland. The trees were sparkling with fresh snow. Our four horses were delighted and were galloping through the snow drifts. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

The big kids suit up, while I bundled up Noah. Joe revved up the John Deere and attached the sleds. Everyone was waiting on Noah, who couldn’t remember ever seeing so much snow. I opened the door to the deck and placed him on top of the snow, and he fell face first into the pile unable to move his arms or legs.

They were finally all on a tube, sled, trash can lid or snowboard. Everything that was not tied down is fair game for sledding. Marley built snow mounds over the picnic table and practiced his twists and turns on his board. Days seemed to go by and the snow was still as beautiful and deep. We had no idea what was going on in the outside world. Our farm is so far off the beaten track, our roads are among the last to be plowed.

Joe went back to work. Life still revolved around the snow. Wet gloves, snow pants, and hats were everywhere! The woodstove was running continuously. Mom called mid day with a slight edge of panic to her voice. They were dangerously low on propane. She called for a delivery but the would not come unless the driveway was clear. Even with Joe and the kids going up and down the drive a zillion times, there was no way a delivery truck was going to make it to deliver the fuel.

Mom and I are modern day Lucy and Ethel. We have gotten ourselves into and out of so many zany capers. When Ethel a.k.a Mom gets ramped up, it doesn’t take long for me to join in the hysterics. I call Ricky Joe and start screaming! The winter wonderland is not so wonderful anymore. Mom and I decided if the heat runs out they would come over here, and we will just have to make the best of it.

No sooner were the words out of my mouth when I saw my husband coming up the driveway spraying liquid out of the hose of his truck! You know you’re a redneck when….

Every Tuesday Joe emptied the cheese waste from a little shop in town. I guess it is steaming hot and right around the corner! It was a sight to behold. Joe driving this huge truck down the winding driveway melting the colossal amount of snow with this gray concoction! I am both horrified and thankful.

He got to our entrance, tooted his horn, waved and drove to his next job. My hero?! Mom got her propane in the nick of time, crisis avoided for now. The driveway now a grey sludgy mess, no longer held the appeal it did earlier in the week. Studies resumed. To honor my hero, I made fondue for dinner!