Winter Storm Canceled Plans

January 22, 2026

Bruce had planned to leave Jekyll Island today and head back on Saturday with me and Nox.

Yesterday (January 21), I saw a winter advisory report pop up on my phone again. I had seen several warnings over the week. I didn’t read them, just scanned the title. I didn’t think much of it until a friend mentioned the how bad the coming storm would be. I then read the whole advisory and realized a big winter storm was approaching and we shouldn’t drive in it.

The forecast is for strong winds with 1/4 to 1 inch of ice with 2 to 4 inches of snow on top of the ice starting Friday night and all day Saturday. Sunday, and Monday, the low is predicted to be 7 degrees F and the highs aren’t expected to get above freezing.

While the snow didn’t worry me to much, the ice did. The advisory from the weather service warned many roads would be impassable due to broken tree branches. They are predicting widespread power outages. They suggested not to drive unless absolutely necessary and to put chains on your tires. The severity is extreme which means extraordinary risk to life or property.

So I sent Bruce a text warning him of the winter storm with information about the ice and snow accumulations. I figured he might want to leave later on Wednesday and then we could leave on Friday. I also considered the family might be willing to delay the viewing and funeral. I thought with the information about the weather, he would make plans.

Well, it didn’t register for Bruce why I was sending him a text about the weather for the weekend. He was too caught up with what was going on there. I should’ve added one more line to the text, our current plans won’t work. In normal times, he would have understood what the text about the weather meant. This is not a normal time for him.

He called me just to check in and I asked him what was the new plans were. He was taken aback. He hadn’t considered what the weather meant. We discussed what the storm meant. No driving on Saturday. We’d be driving through an ice and snow storm for hours if we left on Saturday. It was too late for him to leave by the time he called me. He went and asked if the day of the viewing and funeral could be moved. The answer was no, since grandchildren and great grandchildren were coming. The great grandchildren are all children and are coming with their parents. Many couldn’t take off more time. Bruce called back and we decided the best option was for him to stay and to buy clothes appropriate for a funeral as well as some casual clothes. He said, “I wish I had taken your advice and brought my suit.”

I am waiting for the cashiers check for the RV. It is supposed to arrive on Friday. Bruce really wants the RV sold. Once I have the cashiers check, I can take it to the bank to confirm it is an actual cashiers check. Ya’ll may not realize that criminal rings will forge cashiers checks. It is good to have the bank confirm the cashiers check is real before depositing it. Don’t let someone take possession of what you are selling until the check has been confirmed as good. Trust, but verify was the motto we lived by at the bank.

I couldn’t fly out on Friday since we won’t put Nox on a plane and I wouldn’t know the timing. Nox is too old to board at a kennel. She would be scared and upset the whole time she was there. She still has separation anxiety. A friend offered to care for her, but she had a lot going on right now. She also has two little cute dogs that have to much energy for Nox.

After talking it through, I am going to miss the viewing and funeral. While I wanted to be there, the funeral is to say goodbye and comfort and be comforted. I have already said goodbye in my heart. My memories of my FIL will help in this time of sadness.

My FIL had my art work on the wall opposite his bed, allowing him to see them from his bed. He told me how much he loved reading my blog and seeing the pictures of the sunset. You may have seen his comments on individual posts. He greatly appreciated my cooking. I showed him how to bread chicken and he loved chicken made that way. When his youngest daughter would come, he would ask her to made chicken the way Julia does. I take great comfort that his last real meal was the dinner I made on Christmas Eve. He visibly enjoyed it and ate with gusto. A salad, slices of a standing rib roast, baked potatoes, garlic bread, and peas with mushrooms and carrots. We had ice cream for dessert. He completed me on how delicious everything was.

It is still shocking to me how fast he went from a charming man to gone, except in our memories.