The Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared

We’ve had some harsh weather lately, lots of snow and cold temps.  Thus we’ve been running the heater in the van to warm it up before we go out. Little did I know how quickly this makes the gas disappear.  David, Mallory, and I were returning from Walmart after buying a few supplies. On the way back the van started sputtering. I got the “oh no” feeling when David said he thought we were running out of gas.  He pulled over to the side of a snowy road just out of city limits.  Unprepared and without a gas can in the vehicle, I started to dial Triple A. While I was still on the phone, David started up the van again.  We began putt-putting up the icy hill into town. I quit dialing and stared at the hill.

We were on the side of the road not far from here.

This was rather nerve wracking for me as I envisioned we would stop and slip back down the road. David told us of how he always keeps a can of gas in his truck and wanted to know where mine was.  I kept patting the dash board saying “Come on baby, you can make it.”

At the time, this seemed very steep.

If the van could make it up the hill, I figured we could coast down the other side. We made it over, but David didn’t stop! I kept rocking my body forward as if this would make us go farther.  We turned into the neighborhood and passed around two guys with jumper cables starting a truck.

Come on baby! Whew!  We pulled into the Taco Bell parking lot.

All restaurants are Taco Bell.

From there, we walked through the blowing snow and cold to the nearest Cenex convenience store.  After buying some gas, we trudged back and drove home.  How nice it is being married to a boy scout.

Here are some items to carry inside your vehicle to be prepared for Winter Driving.

• Small candles and matches
• Red bandanna or cloth for signaling purposes
• Pencil and paper
• Whistle
• Snacks such as candy bars, dried fruit, hard candies, or gum
• Large garbage bag
• Cell phone and adapter
• Plastic flashlight and extra batteries
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Kitty litter to be used for traction on ice
• Basic Tools
• Shovel
• Jumper Cables
• Chains or tow cables
• Winter boots
• Flares

Happy Trails,