Sharing sentiment: Everyone wants out of the house
STAFF REPORTSnow and ice are becoming a major part of everyday life in the surrounding area. For many businesses, government agencies and individuals, the dangerous duo has made even walking to their mailboxes a treacherous task.
Virginia Rosier quilts as she stares out the window of her Tucker County home, often taking a break to watch her husband shovel the seemingly endless mounds of snow from the driveway. At other times, she watches the variety of animals that come tramping through the yard in search of food.
"It's better than watching people, sometimes," she laughs.
But with the barrage of snow storms that have plagued the region since before Christmas, people have had to find a way to deal with what is commonly called "cabin fever." The so-called fever is marked with bouts of boredom, depression and lethargic feelings as sufferers are isolated in small areas with little to keep them occupied for an extended period of time.
While there is no antibiotic that can be prescribed at any clinic, people have found their own ways to cure those symptoms of doldrums.
"I haven't been out since mid-December, and my wife since January," said Pickens resident David Sayre. "The main roads are open - they're doing a good job of that - but we can't get to the main road. It just keeps piling up."
Sayre said he has helpful in-laws who bring in the necessary food and supplies needed for surviving such a harsh winter as this one. To pass the time, he and his wife have been watching a lot of television and talking on the telephone.
"The power was out for two or three days," he said. "I don't have a (back-up) generator yet, but next year I will. I bought a propane heater about four years ago, and we never had to use it until this year."
Rosier said her family has not had to suffer without power this winter.
"I guess we're better off than a lot of people," she said. "I'm glad we never lost electricity."
Rosier said she and her husband have been able to leave the house after clearing a path to the streets. But as they are getting up in age, it takes a little longer to accomplish that task each winter.
"We are sort of tired of shoveling snow," she said.
Adults aren't the only ones with cases of cabin fever. Schools in area counties has been called off for several days straight, but time off from the classroom doesn't equate to a lot of fun for siblings Jacob and Hannah Currence of Dailey.
The two live with their parents on a road that doesn't get plowed and if they don't have to get to Tygarts Valley Middle/High School for class, they don't leave home.
Being off school so much because of the snow has been "very crazy," ninth-grader Jacob Currence said. He's been passing the time shoveling snow from the driveway - somewhat of a futile effort because the snow just won't stop - reading and making clay sculptures. But after so much time at home, he's run out of clay and on Thursday was nearly finished reading his 42-chapter book.
Teachers at TVHS have been sending students home with work packets, but Jacob Currence explained he finished his lessons on Tuesday. He said he isn't worried about falling behind on curriculum because of the missed school days; but added that when students are back in class, teachers have more pressure to get caught up.
School is not only for learning, but also a place to socialize with friends. Jacob Currence says he's missing the interaction with his friends, which has been limited to text messaging.
Hannah Currence, a seventh grade student, however, had a friend to keep her company at her house last week. She and her friend have been "hanging out" and working on a social studies fair project.
During Hannah Currence's days off she's been staying up later and waking up around 11 a.m. That sleep pattern, she says, might be a difficult habit to break when students are able to go to school on a regular schedule.
It's not just unfriendly dogs keeping postal carriers from getting mail into boxes around the region. Piles of plowed snow are preventing mail from reaching the proper person. The Elkins postmaster said his carriers are attempting to get the mail out every day, but snow amounts are impeding delivery.
"They attempt delivery every day," Elkins Postmaster Dave Hamrick said, "but it's tough."
Hamrick is encouraging county residents to keep their sidewalks and stairs clear. Also, if the mailbox is along the road, he suggests moving snow to allow carriers' vehicles to approach the box closely. Hamrick related the problem with the mailboxes to that of the problem with The Inter-Mountain's paper carriers.
The mail is still coming into and leaving Elkins, Hamrick said. The problem, according to him, is getting around it on the streets and sidewalks.
Wal-Mart Manager David Kesling said the snow does affect their business, but it has not stopped people from shopping.
"On the days when the snow has hit, it has affected the business. But as soon as the roads are clear, it picks up," Kesling said.
Kesling said the Valentine's Day weekend was very busy for the holiday and people preparing for the snow.
Elkins Cinema 7 owner Nick Kostakos said the weather can affect his business.
"If the weather reaches an extreme stage, it totally prevents people from coming," he said. "Valentine's Day was busy, but it was driven by the holiday. The weather did not help."
Kostakos said there is some correlation with the weather and people going to the movies. He said if people are stuck inside for multiple days, when the weather breaks they are more likely to try to get out.
Peebles Department Store in Elkins saw an increase in sales last weekend during the brief break in the weather and store managers are hoping for strong sales again this weekend.
"Last weekend was pretty good, our numbers were up," Estee Lauder counter manager Erica Markley said. "We didn't have any special sales or anything, I'm guessing people had cabin fever. Throughout the week was pretty slow because of the snow and the kids were home from school. There have been a lot of people out today, I'm guessing because the kids are back in school and people want to get out and do things they haven't been able to do."
The weather has made it difficult for delivery trucks to bring inventory to the store.
"We went two and a half weeks without getting a truck," Markley said. "Our stock was pretty low for a while. It's better now. They had to deliver the truck to the side door because they couldn't get in the back because of all the snow."
The Barbour County Senior Center delivers hot meals daily to about 160 people through its Meals on Wheels program. It also provides other in-home services to 95 people.
During periods of inclement weather, Barbour County Senior Center Director Brenda Wilmoth said shelf-stable meals are dispensed to account for times when the meals can't be delivered. Those packages contain one-third of the required daily allowance of nutrition and include items such as soup, tuna, crackers, applesauce and powdered milk.
"I think a lot of (our clients) have cabin fever," Wilmoth said. "The snow has been so bad it is hard for them to get out of their homes. The ones who do drive don't want to leave their homes because the roads are bad and they don't feel safe. It just seems like this snow has been non-stop. I would just like to encourage people who have an elderly neighbor to stop in and check on them to make sure they are all right, maybe take in their mail and newspapers. I know it would mean a lot to them."
Residents of the area may get that long-awaited break from shoveling the white stuff this weekend, but the respite won't last for long. Forecasts are calling for the possibility of snow returning on Sunday and lasting through the end of the month.
