The Roanoke Rush

During an inevitable and long put-off trip to Wally World, I discover that dog food is still missing in any significant quantity, forcing my to buy a paltry 17 pound bag for my 45 pound dog.

As you might imagine, this is the aftermath of the mad rush to stock up on anything from bread to milk to dog food whenever inclement weather threatens like it did late last week.

Friends and co-workers alike knew of and acknowledge the indefatigable routine of Salemites and Roanokers stocking up like it's the Armageddon when a day or two of ice or snow looms, and yet they still likewise acknowledge the need to "pick a few things up" despite the rush.

I spent a few winters in Montana where maybe such a habit is justified, but Roanoke? A friend of mine who works at Atlas Cold Storage (which supplies frozen goods to Kroger's) tells me how business there booms whenever weather predictions turn gray, like some pre-cognition of winter storms if anyone missed the weather update on the way to work.

Now, this might have some historical context, like maybe back in 1903 Roanokers faced a giant winter storm for which they failed to prepare, resulting in dozens of unfortunate souls sealed in their homes without a spot of food or wood to burn.

That or some likened story might have been the catalyst for this mysterious hoarding instinct (and if so, I'd love to hear about it), but otherwise, it's a little odd from bird's eye view.