The Demon basketball team's trip to play at Central Arkansas included wintry weather. This group of staff members enjoyed the Friday night snowfall. By the time it ended Saturday morning, there were about 2-3 inches on the ground in Conway, making for some pretty scenes on the UCA campus. Up I-40 about 30 miles in Russellville, where former Demon assistant coach Steve Mullins is the AD/head football coach, wife Liz Mullins told Facebook friends they got about 5 inches.
Roads were OK but dodgy. As the Demons pulled onto I-40 east to head back, we got word of a jacknifed 18-wheeler a few miles ahead. Bus driver Bill Greer took a detour before we got caught in the logjam on the interstate, and we worked around the wreck.
Bill was the perfect driver for this trip, with more than a million miles experience, mostly with 18-wheelers. His skills and faith were tested just south of Little Rock, when it seemed as if we had passed all remaining ice until an 18-wheeler just ahead of us fishtailed while trying to avoid an erratic car.
That 18-wheeler driver did a magnificent job holding the road and Bill's skill gave us the best chance of avoiding any trouble.
Earlier, the Demon team was treated to a much funnier show thanks to the ice outside the entrance to our hotel. Radio voice Patrick Netherton and I eschewed the team bus trip to a nearby dining spot and decided to walk the 300 yards through the snow to a nearby Chili's. Getting out of the ice on the driveway was challenging ... and I was told entertaining for the team to watch me trying (successfully, I might add) to keep my balance sliding down a slight incline. Graceful? No. Effective? Thankfully.
That happened just after I snapped a picture of our own "Icy," senior guard Michael McConathy, in front of the hotel. I was sliding standing to take the picture. Michael has carried the "Icy" nickname since he arrived at NSU due to his pale skin. We hoped to find a nearby convenience store and have the "Icy with Icee on Ice" shot, but not much was open and even if it had been, it would have been inaccessible.
BTW, the Conway Log Cabin newspaper went to print with its Sunday edition at 1 Saturday afternoon due to the road conditions.
Doug Ireland, SID
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