FUDGE WAS A DELICACY Patsy has very vivid memories of numerous snowstorms that occurred when she was a child living in Bear River . There were sudden storms that were not predicted. Such storms forced school to be cancelled early during the day. The bus drivers were often at risk driving the children home through blinding blizzards, but thankfully, there were no mishaps. Patsy recalls that when several of the children arrived at the end of the driveway, Joe would be there to escort them up the lane in whiteout conditions. After they were safely indoors, he would return to the driveway to await my arrival. The teachers had to wait until all the students were safely on the buses, and on their way home. Then they were able to leave. When I arrived home, the problem was to find a safe place to park the car on the road, as the driveway was filled in with snow. With whiteout conditions, it was difficult to turn because of the poor visibility. Through time, we made it to the house, exhausted, but grateful to be home. There were often power outages during storms. This was something that the children enjoyed immensely. It was a time when we lit the lamp and kerosene lantern, which did not give us the light that we were accustomed to. Because we had a wood stove in our kitchen, it meant that we were warm and cozy. It also meant, "Fudge", for it was the custom at our house to make this delicacy on a night when there was no power. It was an evening of entertainment for us. We played cards and Bingo, and used the fudge for prizes. The best segment of all was the story telling. The children were curious and would ask Gram what it was like living in Bear River when she was a child. Then they would ask, "How did you get along without a television?" or "How come you never ate french fries?" or "How did you make butter from cream?" or "How would you make yarn from wool?" The questions went on and on. Even forerunners became part of the conversation. To the children, the story telling was an enjoyable history lesson. Sometimes the children liked to fool around and tease each other. Their grandmother would caution them to be quiet and not cause trouble because 122