Curryville Cold

Winter in Curryville gave us all the excitement we could handle. Sledding was a serious sport. If our sleds were in good condition and the snow was packed just right, we could make it from the top of the hill the whole way down to our house. It was quite the hill to us then. However, seeing it now, it is just a slight grade, not really a hill at all. Amazing how monstrous things are when one is small. Curryville was just right for us. It was all we needed.

Sometimes the snow drifts were so big we could dig caves to crawl in. Sometimes the snow was so high it almost covered the top of our fence.

We didn’t have a refrigerator, so in the winter the back porch was where we could keep left overs and foods we couldn’t keep in the warmer weather. Plenty of ice and snow meant plenty of home-made ice cream. We all took turns churning and the rewards were delicious.

An ice storm in November 1950 brought down power lines and trees in Curryville. We had to be very careful not to get near the power lines because of the danger that was there. But it was also so beautiful. It was like a winter wonderland. Everything glistened. Perhaps it was there that I learned to love storms. To this day, my sons know they can find me on my porch when there is a fierce storm. Lightening, wind and thunder draw me to that majestic power.

That 1950 storm caused problems for many in Curryville because they had no electricity. Our house was heated by a pot belly coal stove in the living room and a wood-burning stove in the kitchen. Being without power did not bother us at all. We invited some of our neighbors to come to our house to eat and get warm. It was special when our humble house offered comfort for our friends.

“A man is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.”