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Show Emery County Progress Castle Dale, Utah Tuesday December 24, 2002 3B iS ' I: Lost in the Fog on Christmas Eve By LOUISE STODDARD the morning of Dec. 24, 1991, I was getting ready to leave for work at Dragerton Department Store in East Carbon, when my husband, Bill, asked me a question that he had never asked before. Would you like me to go to work with you and help in the store today? It seemed strange coming from him. The reply could have been, No, thats okay we have plenty of help, but it wasnt. I had experienced his insight before. When Bill says something youd better perk up and take notice. So instead, I said Sure, you mean to tell me that you would do that for me? How sw'eet. We can always use extra help during Christmas rush. By quitting time we were starved, but would not be home soon as there was a lot of work left to do. We called up the Pick and Shovel Cafe and asked if they w ere open, but they closed early for Christmas Eve. How-evthey were having a potluck party for family and friends and invited us to join them. So we crashed their party and then went back to the store and worked until close to midnight. On ' I 1 H er When we left for home the fog was bad and the weather was bitter cold. Bill said, Do you want to go ahead of me? He was in the pickup and 1 was driving the car. Ill probably slow you down, I teased, you know how well I see in the dark. You go first and Ill follow, he suggested. There was no more protest. Bill always knows best. We drove very slowly in fog so thick wre could not see much more than three feet in front of us. Its interesting how difficult it is to judge time or distance when visibility is zero. It is like all your senses are on hold. The Chrislm ffffW n. If I could only it to the tion and gravel parking area I had often seen on my way to and from work, I would be safe. The motor at that point be- up to you. sooner had we separated than my headlights began flickering. It was close to two miles to the next junction, which en- - "to ms. where Huntington was, soned, the car and stand in the middle of the highway facing the turnoff or hell go never losing eller after another rolled The by. headlights cant to( keepgo-- J ing, were 7 Youve barely visible enough ; PH so , pleaded with the car. I dont know how I stayed on the road. There were only gray, dense clouds everywhere in sight. It was as though the car heard my plea. As if in accordance to my request the lights came back on just in time to shine on the Elementary see me. One trav- little buddy! got I I rea- give up! No to show Bill more power. Come on You car wheeling passed slowed head- lights the large gan Ill have to leave no I could move out of the way as each on passed. A set of lights entered the highway from Ridge Road and turned toward Huntington. Then another and another. I guess about 20 cars went by in all. As 1 stood shivering there on been arranging to answer your prayer since long before you ever prayed it. Theyve been making plans since early this morning to save you from this. At that, a calmness settled in that assured me beyond an inkling of any doubt that a rescue was in the works. In the meantime, Bill had fueled up and headed out, determined to catch up to me. As he reached the junction he saw a shadow of a figure ahead of him and said to himself out loud, What is that clown doing in the middle of the highway? After I had received the assurance everythingwas fine, it even that bitter cold, foggy, Christmas Eve, panic began setting in. No one inside those cars even saw me! I apprehended, What if one of those people who turned towards Huntington was Bill? Even if he hasn't already passed, how will he see me? No one else did. What if the wrong person sees me? Well, Ill have to risk it. Theres no other way. My only chance under heaven is to stay right here. Oh, man, Im going to freeze to death out here! I wasnt dressed for the weather. I can't begin to find words to describe how alone it felt. How scary it was to be enveloped in that dense misty prison. Not one car the around and junc- while avoiding invisible on ing traffic was another trick which took extreme and prayerful caution. We turned on Ridge Road and continued creeping along until we reached the Railco and CV Spur turn off. Then Bills pickup sped up, drove on past me and stopped in front of me. I stopped and rolled down my window as he walked up to the car. You go on ahead, he advised, I need to go over here and gas up. Ill catch car practically coasted across the highway and stopped at the desired destination on the other side. I tried the starter and it wouldnt turn over. Everything was dead as stone. When I realized there was no way to turn make across the highway to com- blurry stop sign that marked the junction, then went back out. The self. stop sign at the East Carbon junction finally, dimly came into view. Getting onto the highway, Kenlyn Nielson WfiqV tered the stretch of highway running between Price and Hunting-toMy worst dread was realized when the lights went completely out and the engine began faltering. If this car stops on this road with no lights In this fog, someone, as sure as the earth turns, will come along and plow into me, I convinced my- seemed like the weather down or even faltered. It was warmed up a bit. had kept watching. Soon a set of headlights crawled up to the stop sign. But unlike all the other times, they slowly crossed the highway and stopped beside me. What are you doing here," he asked. He found out the clown in the middle of the highway was non other than his wife. In all my born days, I never felt such relief, or such warmth and security as I climbed in be1 plain, I was completely hidden from their view. Another car came from the junction and turned toward Huntington. wondered again, Was that Bill? Is he going home without me? My hands were clenched tightly under my chin in an effort to keep warm and to pray. 1 ever-lovin- Then right in the middle of the prayer, Id like to think it was a higher power overshadowing fear and panic, replacing them with new thoughts of faith and security. Now you get hold of yourself young lady! Not one of those vehicles turning toward Huntington was Bills! Do you g side him. Still, the big question was, how did Bill see me that night, when no one else could? After Bill fixed the problem on the car, I experienced, in living action, the answer to that question. A few years before this, because of a scary, event that took place when I had given a couple of guys Continued on Page 5B think the Hosts of Heaven would have inspired him to come all this w'ay and to stay and w'ork with you the whole day through, just so he could leave you here? Silly girl, the angels above have Kyle Johnson Castle Dale Elementary Orion Anderson Cottonwood Huntington Boyds Family Pharmacy 25 W Main, Castle Dale 381-546- 4 andee Jewkes Perron Elementary A Tappan Draper Elementary Cottonwood Shelby Allred Cleveland Elementary Cammie Sue Boyce Ferron Elementary 30 S. State Ferron 384-283- 5 Wht Chfiltaui MaaM t tte" j,i ! "What I 0 Hmi t Mt" Cheyenne Robinson Book Cliff Elementary I f The hinhfr - Jei.1 Mappy Molidays W 3T WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN who keps USltf BUSINESS.11 M'f ,9 f? Season's Greetings Green River City Sy ST Huntington 687-242Castle Dale 38 1-2- 5 |