Well, The first, second and third snowstorms are in the books. I realize that not everybody got the same numbers of “snow” storms. Here in Limestone we have had three staying storms with a total of over 20 inches. By most winter standards this was a lot but then again, to some it was but a mere flurry.
As I have said in previous writings, my adopted dad plowed snow at Loring Air Force Base from 1958 until the base closed in 1994. I don’t recall the year but I do remember a weekend, Christmas weekend that is, that my sister and I were awakened at 4 in the morning so Mom and Dad could watch us open our gifts that Santa had left as my father had been called in to work that morning.
It had started snowing the night before and was still snowing hard. Dad left home that morning and went to work. After my sister and I had our breakfast, we settled in to watch some television and of course play with the bounty of toys that the “Jolly Old Elf” had delivered. We thought that around 8 that night Dad would be home and we could share Christmas Dinner at that time.
Little did we know that, for Aroostook County, that storm would be a perfect storm. Dad didn’t make it home that night, Thursday night, nor Friday, nor Saturday, nor Sunday. Monday morning around 7:30 Dad’s truck drove in the yard after the service station owner who plowed driveways had done so. While Dad had his breakfast he told us of how “Snow Control” had sent him with his plow and a huge snow blower from the base to open the road from Loring to Presque Isle so that the airmen who lived at the Bon Aire housing could make it to work.
I honestly don’t remember a storm of such ferocity ever again after that time. I do remember, however, that Dad had to have the Town of Mapleton send in their big Walter V-snowplow to push the snow back twice that year.
For a kid living in “The County” as Archie Bunker would sing at the beginning of his TV show, “Those Were The Days!”
During these last storms we had, I sat in my chair, looked out the window, while visions of storms past ran through my mind only to Remember When …
Guy Woodworth of Presque Isle is a 1973 graduate of Presque Isle High School and a four-year Navy veteran. He and his wife Theresa have two grown sons and five grandchildren. He may be contacted at lightning117_1999@yahoo.com.
