Winter Storm

“Whoa, careful!” Karen admonished herself as she slipped on the ice-covered snow outside her house. Central Texas didn’t often have winter storm warnings but a fierce storm had taken everyone by surprise. A quarter-inch of ice had settled on the ground early yesterday followed by five inches of snow this morning. Now light sleet and a dusting of snow were falling, creating another layer of ice on top of the snow. She had spent the night shivering under three layers of blankets when the power had cut off. She woke to find her pipes would yield only a trickle of water.

Now Karen was venturing outside to inspect the hundred-year-old oak tree in her yard. The sun bounced off the snow, almost blinding her. She inspected tiny tracks in the yard, evidence of small mammals hunting for food and shelter. The snow muffled all sound. Sometime during the night, there had been several tremendous cracking noises. Her fears were confirmed. The huge oak tree had succumbed to the weight of ice and snow and several major branches were broken. Not only had the tree split but one fallen branch had knocked over a significant section of the privacy fence while another massive branch was sitting on her car.

“Oh no, my car!” she exclaimed. Carefully sliding closer she saw the sunroof had been shattered. The ice that had formed on the roof was now on her leather seats as sleet and snow swirled around her head. Digging out her car keys, she pulled papers from work, her planner, and a little black notebook she kept for doodling and notes out from under the mess of broken glass, ice, and bark.

Trudging inside she dumped everything on the kitchen table. “Now what?” Karen thought. Taking the small black Moleskine notebook she grabbed a pen and sat at the kitchen table. She thought better when she could write things down. The notebook had lists of things-to-do, groceries needed and reminders of important dates scrawled on the soft, ivory-colored pages. A light brown coffee circle stained the front cover of the well-used book. She couldn’t function without this little notebook to keep her organized.

She started a new list: Car insurance, repairs/estimates, get a rental, tree branches removed, fence repaired. Then she checked her cell phone. “Where in the world is that number?” she muttered, looking for her new insurance agent in her list of contacts. It wasn’t there. She must not have entered it yet since the policy was only a few weeks old. What a way to get to know her agent!

She looked in the back pocket of the notebook and found the card. Dialing the number she hoped her call would go through. Relief flooded her when Tom, her agent, answered with a cheerful “Hello, Home and Auto what can I do for you?”

“This is Karen. I just signed up two weeks ago. My ancient tree split apart, knocked over my fence, and is now lying on my car. The sunroof is broken with ice and snow piling up inside. I need help.”

“Have you moved anything?” Tom asked.

“No, I just pulled papers out of the car and called you.”

“Well,” Tom said, “I’m just a few blocks from you. I’ll come over and take pictures and we’ll get a claim started. Do you have a tarp to cover the car?”

“I think I have one in the garage. I’ll look.” Karen replied.

“OK, you look and I’ll help you cover it up when I get there. See you in about twenty minutes.”

An hour later, with help of the chain saw Tom pulled from his truck, they had the tree off of the car and a tarp securely covering the broken roof. Tom had suggested putting a piece of plywood he spied in the corner of the garage over the roof first, so any weight from snow or ice wouldn’t pull the tarp into the car. As Tom cut the second branch into manageable pieces, Karen piled them along the garage wall.

“Thank you so much!” Karen exclaimed as she hauled the last piece away and Tom put the chain saw in his truck.

“You’re welcome.” Tom replied “I have the photos and your statement. We’ll need an estimate from your dealership on the replacement cost for the sunroof. There are two car rental agencies downtown if you need a vehicle while you’re waiting for the car. I’ve left you the name of a reputable tree guy. Any questions for me?”

“Only one. May I buy you dinner as a thank you for the manual labor?”

Tom laughed, “Sure. I love those big, juicy burgers from Dan’s with double cheese and jalapenos. I drove by on my way here, but the power is out. You can buy me the burger when you get your claim check. I think I’ll be busy for a while with quite a few claims.”

“You’ve got it.” Karen smiled.

Back inside she realized she was covered in tree bark and her hands were raw and cold. She wanted a warm shower and clean clothes. The weather had other ideas. No water. No power. “Well,” Karen thought “There’s snow outside and I have a gas stove. I can melt snow and take a sponge bath. If my ancestors could survive without electricity I certainly can.” While she was standing at the stove melting snow, she looked out the kitchen window. A Cooper's hawk sailed past, a mouse clutched in her claws. “So that’s what made the tracks.” Karen thought simultaneously admiring the hawk and feeling sad for the mouse.

Ten days later the sun was shining and the snow and ice from earlier was just a memory. Her fence had been repaired and an arborist was scheduled to work on the tree the following Tuesday. The oak wood on the side of the garage had been donated to a family during the power outage for their fireplace. Her vehicle was in the shop waiting for a replacement sunroof to arrive, with the dents and scratches repaired and repainted. Karen drove the rental car to the post office. Life wasn’t settled yet, but it wasn’t in the earlier turmoil. Sunshine made such a difference!

She opened an envelope from the insurance company. “Oh my goodness!” Karen gasped. The letter inside stated her homeowners insurance would cover the cost of the arborist and fence repair. Her auto insurance would cover the sunroof, one ripped leather seat, water damage from melting ice on the carpets, minor scrapes and ding repair, paint, and the car rental. After her deduction, they had calculated the enclosed amount and closed the claims. She clutched a check for $20,000.

“Well, I think I have enough for a burger from Dan’s, maybe even two!” Karen said to nobody in particular.