A White Christmas

It started with an ice storm on December 11/12. Ice rained down all night across New Hampshire and much of New England, tearing down many, many trees and power lines. It was the most destructive ice storm in New Hampshire’s history as some 400,000 people – more than a third of the state’s population – lost electrical power. Twice during the night I was awakened by brilliant flashes of lightning as two nearby power transformers blew up. So I wasn’t surprised the next morning to be among those without power.

By using candles and batteries and stoking-up my wood stove I was able to carry on, but after two or three days without power from the grid or running water the experience began to grow old. I was both relieved and delighted when my power came on after four days and after checking my house to make sure everything was working properly I jumped into the shower to enjoy a hot and much-needed clean-up.

I was lucky because many of my neighbours went seven or eight days without power. Some went even longer. You forget how much you rely on electricity and as the days stretched into a week and an imminent threat arrived of a pair of back-to-back snowstorms anyone I bumped into who was still struggling without the comforts of electricity had lost their sense of humour about the situation.

Sure enough, a week after the ice storm with many people still living by candlelight the pair of snowstorms arrived exactly as predicted. The first on Friday last week dumped about half a foot of light, fluffy snow and the second storm on Sunday added another foot or more – perfect timing for New Hampshire’s ski industry.

Of course, every other man has a plough attachment for his pick-up and the state’s road crews do a tremendous job of clearing and preparing the roads and snow banks during the winter. The State of New Hampshire operates more than 700 snowplough trucks and you can drive almost anywhere in the state in all but the worst of any ice or snowstorms.

So winter has well and truly arrived in New Hampshire and we will enjoy a bountifully white Christmas, which will help put even the most peevish of souls into the spirit of the season. But if you’re not something of a winter sportsman who enjoys the likes of downhill or cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling or even ice fishing, you’re soon going to be suffering from ‘cabin fever’ and will find yourself dreaming about southern beaches and warm breezes.

Meanwhile, in the real world, our outgoing president has approved a $17.4 billion bailout package for General Motors and Chrysler with Ford under Alan Mulally’s direction deciding to navigate the troubled economic waters on its own recognizance. Plenty of strings are attached to the deal, including a demand to demonstrate by the end of March the potential for future profitability and a line of sensible, saleable products. But everyone knows that tough times and many lost jobs lie ahead for the American auto industry and its suppliers.

And as Carl Haas said last week as he struggles without success to find a sponsor to run just one Newman/Haas/Lanigan IRL car next year for Graham Rahal: “In my fifty years in the sport I’ve never seen it so bad.”

Here in New Hampshire we’ll enjoy a classically white Christmas and some winter sport, too, before confronting the harsh realities of 2009.