Be prepared for worst of winter

Let’s start with a little nod toward superstition and knock wood.
Here we are in the last week of January, and winter — at least when compared to last year’s nightmare — has been relatively mild, or at least manageable.
The last thing we want to do is set a jinx in motion and unleash an Alberta Express headed our way.
But it’s important that we don’t let our guard down.
Just because winter — so far — hasn’t been horrible doesn’t mean that it couldn’t turn horrible in a heartbeat.
If you live in the Midwest, you soon learn to be prepared.
Still, it’s easy to let your guard down. And that would be a mistake.
Now, when the roads may be slippery and tricky but are not impassable, is the time to take a few minutes to make sure your pantry has what it takes to get through a winter crunch.
Have enough canned soup and other staples? If you have an infant at home, do you have enough disposable diapers to get through a week being housebound? If you use prescription medications, does your supply make sense if faced with a blizzard?
Winter’s been kind. Are you prepared to face her at her worst?
And should that happen, are you clued in to your neighbors and their needs?
You ought to be.
So far, we’ve just seen a hint from Mother Nature when it comes to how bad things can be.
It only makes sense now to prepare for the worst.
Then you can hope for the best, confident that you’ll be able to handle anything that comes down the pike. —J.R.