Fog

Yesterday we woke up to a thick fog, and as we drove to breakfast we were very careful since deer are prevalent here and we do not want to have a car-deer collision. Our local deer herd is at least 17 in count. Today, it is another foggy morning but not so thick.

When I was growing up in Newark Valley, which is located in the Southern Tier of central New York State, fog was a common occurrence both early in the morning and sometimes at night. One night we got a call from cousin Georgia Curkendall, who was taking her oldest son Jerry back to Cornell after a weekend visit, and she wondered if I would go along to keep her company, as it was very foggy. Now, Cornell University is not very far from Newark Valley, maybe twenty to thirty miles at most, so the trip is usually very short. I agreed to accompany them and to keep Georgia company on the return trip, as well. The fog was awful. In fact, at times you could not see more than two to three of the center stripes in the road, so we drove very slowly and carefully. After dropping Jerry off, Georgia and I returned in the same manner, as the fog had not lifted or lessened. It took several hours for the entire trip, and we were very glad to get back home.

Another time my dad, who was a regional manager for GLF farm stores, was returning back down our valley in a dense fog when he heard the whistle of the evening train. He stopped the car and opened the door to discover the car was stopped on the railroad track. Again hearing the whistle of the train, he hurriedly restarted the car and just as he pulled off the track, the train went by leaving a black mark on his rear bumper. After a small distance, he again stopped, got control of his shaking, and drove on home. That was a near thing for sure.

If in your travels you encounter fog, please remember these stories and Drive Carefully.