It all began because I wanted a picture of a barn.
We’d already been barn-hopping, as it were. Driving through the snowy Wisconsin countryside, sticking to the backroads, in search of natural beauty. We found plenty of that.
Eventually, we found ourselves in Delavan. Stopped for lunch at a pub and grill across from the frozen lake. There, we had some of the best cheese curds yet; super light and airy, with a fantastic cheese pull. Inspired by Rivergirl, I even ordered two different cocktails. I’m trying to branch out and broaden my horizons instead of always ordering the same thing. One can only have so many Bloody Marys and Old Fashioneds, after all. The apple mezcal margarita was a smoky, subtle delight; the bartender warned me that “mezcal is not tequila!”, which of course I knew, but he said more people send that drink back than any other because they are expecting the margarita to taste like a traditional tequila-based one.
Amateurs.
I also tried a seasonal cocktail made with gin, elderflower liqueur, and grapefruit juice. While more photogenic than the first, I preferred the margarita.
Regardless, it’s fun to branch out. Tara tried a couple of sample porters before settling on a bottle of Blue Moon with the requisite orange slice for both rounds.
We can’t all be Rivergirl, I suppose.
While we were mostly just exploring aimlessly, we did plan Delavan’s Winterfest as our final destination before heading home. There, we wandered around a bit, taking in the vintage snowmobiles and ice sculptures, but it was damn cold (windchill: zero), so we didn’t linger.
A mile or two outside Delavan, as we began our 45-minute trek home, we passed a barn I’d spotted on the drive over but hadn’t been able to photograph. After sailing past it, Tara saw me staring out the window wistfully and asked if I’d like her to turn around so I could grab a pic.
“That would be great!” I said.
It turned out to be the opposite of great.
The shoulder of the road looked smooth and flat, but all that snow the plows pushed off the road was hiding a deep ditch. And when Tara pulled over to make a u-turn, her pickup was immediately sucked in. The tires spun uselessly and our hearts sank. We were stuck solid, and sunset was half an hour away. Factor in the brutal cold, with subzero temperatures forecast that night, and while I didn’t exactly panic, I was deeply concerned for a few dark moments there. Especially when the three towing services we called all went to voicemail.
I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m in a situation like this, I can’t just sit still. I wanted to try to push the truck in order to help dislodge it, but Tara was insistent doing so would be futile. Look, I may not be Mr. Universe – I knew the odds of this actually working were slim to none – but trying to do something seemed better than not doing anything, you know?
“Someone will be along to help shortly,” Tara said confidently. And wouldn’t you know it, she was right. Three someones, actually, but the guy in the house you can see behind the truck was the first to arrive, on foot with his daughter. A very kind farm laborer who, despite a language barrier, quickly surmised we were in trouble and needed help. He returned a few minutes later with a pickup, chains, and a rope, and pulled us out of the ditch.
Thank god for Good Samaritans and Midwest Nice. What a great combination! If this had happened after dark, or on a more desolate stretch of road, we might not have been so lucky.
As we were driving away, free at last, I cleared my throat. “Umm, you going to turn around so I can get that barn pic?” I asked Tara.
The look in her eyes told me that option was no longer on the table. Which was probably smart anyway. We were back home playing cards an hour later, nice and warm, with a great story to tell.
As for all this snow and cold, which have stuck around for over a week – 16º is the warmest it’s gotten during this whole stretch – it’s finally going to start melting as we warm into the 30s tomorrow. While it’ll be great not to freeze our [insert body part of choice] off, the NWS is calling for some combination of rain, snow, sleet, and/or freezing rain. It’s going to be a slushy, slippery mess, with possible ice jams on the river and flooding.
Always some kind of extreme, I swear. What I’d give for just a week of normal weather.
Have you ever been stranded somewhere? Ever play the role of Good Samaritan?
Mark My Words 
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