When I drove home from the airport last Thursday, as soon as I turned off the highway I could see that our drive was solid ice as Pat had said. I tried to go up the hill at the beginning of the drive but all I got was whrrrrr from the wheels. I backed into the turnoff and tried again - more whrrrr. I backed up and stopped and called Pat who came and got me in the 4 wheel drive truck. We left the car there for the night musing unhappily over how we would get the car to the house. The next day I had to go to town, so Pat drove me to the car and I took off for town. When I came back we planned to use the tow chain to get the car up the driveway. I decided to make one more effort and drove in the truck tracks on the side and slowly crept to the top of the hill; the rest of the driveway was a piece of cake or more a piece of slick icing but I got the car to the garage. Pat was thrilled that he didn't have to hook up the chain to the car in 6 degree weather.
Pat was leaving on Saturday for sunny Texas and I had a work trip on Monday. Based on the weather report, it didn't look like our drive would be any better on Monday - Pat was worried that if I tried to drive the car I would just slide all of the way down the big hill and never make the turn to the highway. I was just worried - so at Pat's suggestion, I called the local shuttle service and Rick said "No problem, he'd send someone with 4 wheel drive." A guy with a van picked me up on Monday and all went well. When I got back Tuesday night, the same guy picked me up at the airport in a car. I was a little worried, but hey it had warmed up to 37 degrees so he must know that all of the ice is melted. The turnoff from the highway looked pretty good but as soon as Al started to go up the hill, whrrr, slide, whrr. So Al backs into the turnoff and we slide back and forth several times ending up sideways but not fortunately in the ditch. Al decides to try again and he slides backward down the hill headed toward the ditch. All he gets is whrrr when he tries to move forward so he calls Rick to tell him he's stuck. I considered walking to the house but I couldn't carry my computer and I still had on work clothes meaning hose and heels, so Al and I wait and wait and wait. Rick calls to say he is on his way. After about 20 minutes a truck comes up behind us on Trego Rd and drives into the turnoff to the highway - obviously a person with a 4 wheel drive. The truck stopped at the stop sign and a young man got out and slid across the road to ask if we needed any help. It wasn't anyone I knew, but I asked somewhat pitifully if he could take me to my house over there. He said sure and got my bags and slid back to his truck. In my little heels I could see me trying to cross the road and sliding all the way down the hill. I told him I'd meet him at the top of the hill and tromped off through side of the field where the ice was not bad. He nicely drove the truck over into the field and picked me up and delivered me safely to my door. He said, "You must be Cynthia Karl". Yup. It turned out he is a good friend of the guy that has cattle here. I'm sure by now he's added to the stories of "rescuing the Karls". From the window I watched the tow truck arrive and pull Al out of the ditch.