Despite snow, life goes on

BEMIDJI – Living at this high of latitude, people learn to adapt.
That means when the area gets blanketed by about a foot of snow, errands still must be ran, businesses must be open, and life must go on.

In Dean Helgeson’s case, it meant getting to his dentist appointment on time Tuesday morning.
“It’s a good thing I have four-wheel drive,” Helgeson said Tuesday as he scraped ice off of his pickup truck. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be going anywhere.”
Like Helgeson, others deployed the use of man-made machines in a battle against nature’s wrath. Vehicles normally seen on construction sites were seen in the larger parking lots, while residents made quick work of sidewalks with their snowblowers.
By late morning, plows had already made their way through downtown Bemidji, leaving medians made of snow between traffic lanes. Shopkeepers were shoveling the sidewalks in front of their businesses, car dealers wiped snow off of their merchandise, and keeping with the old saying, postal carriers continued to deliver the mail.
The scene that played out in Bemidji came after the wet and heavy snow began falling Monday night. According to the National Weather Service, 11.5 inches of snow was reported three miles east of Bemidji.
In preparation for the long day ahead, some residents began shoveling Monday night, even as the snow continued to fall. One of them was Shawn Juelson.
“And you couldn’t tell this morning,” he said. Although without that effort, he added, “I wouldn’t have been able to get my son to school on time.”
Indeed, life goes on.