Countdown to Spring - I Take it Back (Sort of)

Okay, I am officially over February, over winter, over shoveling, etc. etc., etc.  After our 18" of dry fluffy snow, we had another 5" of slightly heavier snow last week.  We're expecting another 3-8" of snow tomorrow into Tuesday, with the possibility of ice on top of it all, followed on Thursday by snow and possibly freezing rain, with rain on Friday to make a lovely mess of it all.

If Mother Nature is trying to try my patience, it's working.  I know we've been fortunate in that, except for the 15" snowstorm in December, we didn't have anything until February.  I didn't have to sweep or shovel, didn't have to throw de-icer down until this month.  However, it seems to be making up for lost time in terms of the frequency and amounts we're getting and predicted to get, not to mention we're getting into the messier winter weather as the slightly warmer temperatures start to creep in.  I know, it's a seasonal process and one we go through, for better or worse, every year.  I understand it.  It doesn't mean I have to like it.

However, as I look out the window at bushes and trees, I see evidence of their awakening from their winter slumber in the form of leaf buds.  I also hear some of the birds doing some territorial singing as well.  Granted that they're year-round residents and will have to re-stake their claims once the migrating birds return.  But these little reminders of warmer, greener days to come are most welcome and will keep me going as I pitch said forecasted snow off my deck over the upcoming week.

Only 34 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - A Late Start

For those who still read my blog, you know I normally start this series on Groundhog's Day.  I did watch Punxsutawney Phil on 2/2, but was kind of busy shoveling out from the 18" of snow that fell on 2/1.  By the way, just because it's a light and fluffy snow doesn't make it any easier to clear off a second floor deck and walkway.  I am fortunate in that my neighbors came over to help clear the ridge of snow left by the plow and the area around my car, bless them.  I'm getting too old to be dealing with this stuff, yet love New York too much to consider relocating.

So, the groundhog did see his shadow on February 2, which means six more weeks of winter.  Was I surprised?  Not in the least.  Despite not wanting to deal in cold temperatures, snow, sleet and freezing rain, I know it's part of the process toward a normal spring.  The lack of normalcy of this past year due to the pandemic has given me an appreciation for normal seasonal weather and transitions.

Still, as I look out on falling snow again, which will be happening every other day for the next week, it makes me wonder about warmer climes and snow-free places, if only for a short while.

Only 41 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Okay, So I'm Late

I normally watch Punxsutawney Phil on live feed getting dragged out what is likely not his den on Groundhog's Day to predict what the next 45 or so days will bring with regard to weather.  I was a little late trying to get on the official website  on February 2nd and therefore didn't get to watch live as Phil predicted an early spring.

I have on more than one occasion called Phil a "stupid woodchuck".  I'll do it when he predicts a continuation of winter-like conditions and has been right, and also when he's predicted early spring-like conditions and been wrong.  There's just no making me happy in February when all I want are warmer temperatures and nothing coming out of the sky that's frozen or freezes on contact with my deck, walkway, car, roads – well, you get the idea.  By this time, I'm tired of shoveling snow – even more so with the bum shoulder I'm nursing that really doesn't like the action of lift the snow/chuck the snow out of the way.  I'm tired of having to bundle up to go to my car and scrape the frost off and/or sit there with it to let it warm up before heading to work.  I've gotten tired of cats that won't even venture outside until the temperature's above freezing (they have a cat door - there is no excuse).  I am tired of houseplants that shed in the winter, get luxurious when put outside in warm weather, then return to shedding within a week of being inside.  I like it when Mother Nature waters them and I don't have to, too.  I wistfully peruse seed catalogs, thinking about how beautiful all of it will look on the deck and balcony of my apartment, knowing full well that you can't really grow much of anything on a deck under a tree canopy that only allows full sunlight for maybe two hours a day and a balcony that can't handle a full blown sun-loving garden.

Yes, indeed, by February, my spring fever is more than apparent.  So when Phil predicts an early spring and it doesn't happen, I want to call for his removal as a meteorological prognosticator.  But except for a few days of chilliness and a day or so of mixed precipitation that disappeared within a day each time, Phil has been on the money this year.  Temperatures in the 40s and 50s, rain instead of snow.  I can take it.  Yes, I know there's a downside to having early warm temperatures, including early and increased insect populations, an increase in allergies, etc.  But this year, I just don't care. 

So, I sincerely hope it stays nice right up until spring and beyond.  Let Punxsutawney Phil be right in his prediction right up until March 19th and beyond.  After all, I hear woodchuck stew is kind of fatty and gamey.

Only 25 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring–Roarin’ All the Way

There’s a saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.  March doesn’t always live up to that saying to its fullest potential, but this year, well …
In last week’s post, I remarked that Punxsutawney Phil was wrong in the prediction of there being six more weeks of winter.  With all the warm weather and quickly disappearing snow we were having, I couldn’t help but make the remark.  Never taunt the ground hog.

On March 2, after a day of 50-degree weather, but mostly cloudy skies and strangely increasing winds, we had a classic Nor’easter storm develop.  We were fortunate in that we had only a little bit of very soggy snow mixed in with rain.  North and west of the Mid-Hudson Valley, though, got slammed with 2-3 feet of snow.  The ski resorts were thrilled, I’m sure.  The rest of us, not so much.  Power outages were rampant with the high winds taking down branches and trees across power lines.  We were fortunate in that we only lost power for one hour.  As I type this, there are people who are just getting their power back on from last week’s storm and a few that still don’t have it.

Today brings another Nor’easter, only this time, my area won’t get off as easy in terms of the precipitation.  There was disagreement among the forecasting groups about last week’s storm as to what type of precipitation we were going to get.  Not this time.  Although they were differing slightly on the totals, they were all saying snow.  We presently have about 6” of very, very heavy snow.  Yes, this is the snow we used to make snowballs and snowmen out of when I was younger – solid, packable stuff.  You don’t want to shovel it, but you do want to play with it.  I’ll be doing the former tomorrow, taking my time with it clearing my deck and walkway.  I’m a fat, 60+ woman who doesn’t want to end up a winter statistic because she did too much too fast with this hefty, crappy white stuff, aka “heart attack” snow.

But on a positive note, in my walks of yesterday and today, I saw the red ends of tree branches that weren’t there last week.  Those trees are just itching to send out leaves.  I saw crocus, daffodil and snowdrop leaves coming up through grass and debris, all signs of flowers to follow in the not too distant future.  The pussy willow I pass everyday is just about in full furriness.  Well, today, those fuzzies are a little soggy, but they’ll recover.  I’m seeing more and more migrating birds return, although I haven’t seen any other robins than the one I mentioned last time.  Maybe they headed south again to places where the ground isn’t white.  With the migrators, there are more spring songs being heard, songs which will still be heard tomorrow as my area starts to shovel out from what we all hope is the last reminder of this winter season. 

The lion that brought in March will soon be tamed, and the happy playful lamb that signals March’s end will be here soon enough.

Only 13 days until spring.

Countdown to Spring – This is More Like It

After a week of staring at the walls and ceiling of my apartment and feeling like a barking seal with an energy crisis living at the equator (translation – coughing, fatigue and fever), I am finally past it and am looking forward to the next few days or gorgeous and, may I add, warm weather.  Warm, as in 60s, possibly even 70.  Yeah, I know, I know, it’s too early, it’s not going to last.  Whatever.  It beats -7°F, doesn’t it?

Our little clipper storm Saturday into Sunday which was supposed to bring 1-3” of snow brought us about 4” locally.  It wasn’t supposed to start until 9 PM, but by 7 PM when I looked out, we already had an inch of snow on the ground, dashing my hopes of a dusting that I could easily sweep away.  Sunday morning, out came the shovel and in about three trips, I had cleared my deck and walkway and then my parking space out to the road.  I didn’t do a great job because it was already sunny and above freezing.  Let solar heating be your friend.  It was, too.  By the end of the day, all shoveled areas were down to bare ground.

It’s been in the 40s during the day the last few days and most of the snow is gone.  Yesterday, it was in the 60s.  It hadn’t melted all the way yet, but it was an 9:1 mix of bare ground to snow instead of 50:50.  By the end of today, well, I won’t even care if it’s not gone.  I’m just going to enjoy those warm southwest breezes.

I did manage a little walking at the end of flu/flu-like things.  Looking up at trees, I am seeing more and more buds at the tips of all the branches.  The pussy willow I walk by to go to the post office is really starting to come to life, with catkins (really, that's what they're called) now starting to peek out from just about every branch.  I have a running permission from the owner to clip a few branches every year.  That'll be coming up soon.

On a sad note, a critter – likely a squirrel – squeezed through the holes of the milk-crate type container that I had protecting my planter with crocuses in it, moved the leaf mulch and had a late winter snack of crocus root and sprout salad on at least half of them.  I suspect squirrel because of the debris pattern they left outside the container and yet still left the container in place.  Ladies and Gentlemen, a round of applause for Houdini the Squirrel!

Only 27 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The End is in Sight

Well, the end of winter, to be sure.  But what I'm really talking about is the end of my shoveling out from our one and only nor'easter two days ago.

I watched another musher come into Nome from the Iditarod race (by the way, it was about 3 AM and -14°F in Nome at the time), then got dressed and headed out.  I figured I was going to get maybe another 15 feet cleared before ending it.  Nope, I got about 30 feet of walkway cleared in a fairly short time.  I got to the thick crusty stuff left by the plow and decided to stop.  That was about 8 feet from the road.  Some would continue, but I was good with it.  I am a 59-year-old fat and slightly physically deconditioned old broad and I have no desire to visit the emergency room due to a shoveling expedition that isn't critical for today.

However, before I called it quits, I decided it was time to remove the bin I put over the snowdrops and let them catch some rays.  I started to shovel toward the flower patch, but my hands were cold and I really was getting tired, so I walked through the snow to the green bin (about 15 feet), then shoveled around it, roughly shoveled back out to the walkway, then came back and took the lid off the snowdrops.  They didn't look too bad.  I came back in the house for a few minutes after that to let my fingers warm up and catch my breath, then went back outside and took the lid off the crocuses as well.  They looked a bit bedraggled, but still alive and kicking.  In both cases, covering them created an area of ground to be warmed sooner rather than later, promoting melting.  It’s that much less white and also helping to decrease the snow pack a little faster.  

My jeans are presently hanging in the bathroom, my shoes back up against the radiator.  I'm snuggy inside and having my second cup of coffee, having accomplished more than I expected I was going to this morning.  I may or may not finish when I get home this evening from the road inward – we’ll see how I feel.  

Gotta say, though, it was beautiful out there – blue, almost cloudless sky, temperature around freezing.  The wind was still kicking a bit, but it felt good as I was shoveling.  Birds are singing territorial songs now, and as I looked around, I saw buds on trees and bushes getting ready to come out of their dormancy.  So, much as it might not look it a lot right now, the end of this winter solstice season is in sight, and it can't come soon enough.

Only 4 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The Day After and Still Digging Out.

I am tired of shoveling.  Last night, I dug out to and around the car.  I removed most of the snow from the car, which looked like massive snowdrift.  I dug through the snowplow-created ridge at the road at one spot.  That was partly a psychological need.  It was like breaking through a barrier back to normalcy.  I even dug from the road to one of the cat doors, not that furry feline beasts wanted to go outside.  I also started down toward the basement door and quit for the night once I got there.  My fingers were cold, my feet were cold, and I was just plain pooped.

This morning, I dug out to the road enough to get the car out this morning, dug to grass and ground to the kitchen cat door, then cut down into the side yard a bit more.    Showered, breakfast, then went to work.  The roads were intermittently crappy.  One of the streets I have to travel is actually a hill with a moderately steep incline.  Going up wasn’t bad, as it was clear to pavement.   Going down was still snow-covered.  I got in about 15 minutes late, but I was in good company as just about everybody else was late as well.  

Heading home, the roads were better, but that hill I came up looked exactly the same as when I went to work.  I drove down the still snow-covered side, but the driver behind me pulled over onto the cleared side to drive down to almost the bottom before pulling back into the proper lane.  Markedly illegal, potentially dangerous if someone pulled out from a side street, but better driving conditions.  I don’t have the chutzpah to try that because I’m inevitably the one who gets caught.

When I got home, I drove up like I was going to pull in, but rolled back only enough to get an idea of the minimum I had to shovel to park in my spot.  I parked, then shoveled more than enough to get the car off the road.  I also cleared the stairs into the side yard more, the area in front of the fuel tank, then started to work down the sidewalk toward the road.  I got maybe about three yards into that when I called it quits for the day.  I wasn’t as winded this time, but my muscles were still screaming and I was still tired afterward.  I need to crash now.  Shower can wait until morning, probably after I tackle some more shoveling.  

The rest of the walkway will likely not get done tomorrow.  It's probably going to take into the weekend before I get through the side yard to the road.  I am so happy that they delivered the heating fuel Monday night.

Did I mention we got about 18" of snow, with drifts up to three feet?  Ewwww.

Only 5 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - When it Sounds Like a Train

Our little nor'easter started around 2 this morning.  The ground was covered with about an inch of snow at 3 when I woke.  There was no wind at that point.  I went outside and allowed the plastic "curtain" to fall across the south side of the porch.  The plan was for it to minimize the amount of snow clearing I'd have to do to just get out my front door.  Yeah, well ...

I can't get an exact measurement because of the blowing and drifting that's now going on, but eyeballing it based on known heights of things and how much they're covered, I'm going to go out on the proverbial limb and say it's more than a foot of snow so far.  We've got at least another eight hours of storm time to go, too.  Wheeeee (not).

Then, there's that wind.  They forecasted a constant 10 mph wind and they weren't exaggerating.  It periodically picks up and blows at 20 and sometimes as high as 40 mph.  When that happens, it sounds a lot like when the train passes through about an eighth-mile from where I live.  It's that loud and sustained.

As far as my porch, well, the plastic sort of works.  It keeps snow from blowing in from the south.  There is also a barrier on the north side of the porch as well. Under normal snowy conditions, that would do the job and there would be minimal accumulation on my roof-covered porch.  But, this is a classic coastal storm, with the wind coming in from the north and east, so there is snow piling up against the front door.  I've been sweeping and shoveling the porch and first step almost hourly.  Interesting, the north side of that first step is bare, as is the back of my car which is parked close to the porch.  The hood of my car, on the other hand, is lost in a more than two-feet thick snow drift.

The snowplows have been through twice so far since this started.  I haven't even tried to deal with the ridge they left, but I can tell you it was about three feet high and about two feet in depth last time I looked.  I can only imagine what it's going to look like on the final plow-through at the end of the storm.  Yeah, there's my cardiac workout sorted for maybe tonight, but probably tomorrow morning.

Most places were closed today, including both my employers.  Will they be closed again tomorrow?  Hard to say, but given the snowfall amounts so far, I wouldn't be surprised.  I also sort of hope so, as I don't think I'm going to feel much like working after I get done shoveling.

Just think – in a month, this will likely be just a memory, and all the spring colors will be here and flourishing like it never happened.  However, come March 20th, we'll still be looking at whitened ground and snow pushed up into mountains to make way for cars and people and asking ourselves, "This is Spring?"

Only 6 more days until then.

Countdown to Spring - Waiting for Winter to Return

It's presently in the upper 40s, but the cold front is heading toward us as I type this.  We'll drop into the 30s tonight, then 20s tomorrow, 10s tomorrow night, with a repeat of 20s and 10s through Sunday.  It'll be in the 30s during the day after that, but the warmer weather that we've come to know and sort of appreciate won't be back until late next week.

Then, let's talk snow.  The weather forecasting services can't seem to come to an agreement as to how much we're supposed to get.  I mentioned that yesterday.  However, the snow range is now up to 3-6" instead of 2-4" at its high end.  Still not bad, but we're not done.  Next Tuesday is a snow event of unknown amounts.  It could be an inch, it could be 6-10".

I knew there was a reason I didn't put the snow shovel away.  Or my winter coat.  Or gloves.  Or etc.

Only 11 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - *Heavy Sigh*

While the forecast is for the precipitation to end by no later than 8 PM this evening, it was forecast to be rain.  Guess what we're getting?  Hint - it ain't rain.  But, it's not completely snow, either.  It's rain (not freezing) and very wet snow combined, occasionally traveling back and forth between the two.  It's been in the 40s for a good part of the day, so whatever is coming down as snow is melting on contact with surfaces which had no snow on them.  For now, anyway.

I know we've had snow events back to back to back before.  But, my tolerance for them is a little thin this year, perhaps in part because we really haven't had much in the way of snow until this late in the season.  That and I'd like a break from shoveling that extends out more than a day.

Oh, did I mention my roof leaks?

Where's my heating pad?

Only 33 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Solar Heating

I ended up having to shovel again yesterday because we did get a bit more after I shoveled at the (mostly) end of our snowstorm on Sunday.  I wasn't fully recovered from moving snow from point A to out-of-the-way Point B and, quite frankly, I was mentally tired of it, anyway.  I did something of a lazy job of clearing pathways.  I didn't completely clear away the snow because I knew that if I gave the sun and the above-freezing temperatures a chance, I wouldn't have to.  Mother Nature can clear away snow so much more efficiently than we can.

Today, my parking space out to the road down to bare ground and my flagstone pavers and steps were completely clean and dry.  It may take longer, but it's less physically demanding on muscles which have had enough already.

Oh, and that snowman I said I was going to make on Monday?  Nope, didn't happen.  Maybe next snowstorm, preferably next winter season.

Only 34 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – Snowball Time

Although we're still getting a flurry or two, our latest storm has pretty much moved north and east of my area.  While we only got 5-6" this time, it was a heavier snow than the storm on Friday.  Shoveling was more of a workout and, while most of it's done, I didn't finish this time.  I still need to move the snow that's in front of the car and out to the road.  It's not really that much, but I just couldn't make myself move it after the plow had gone through.  It'll still be there tomorrow, although perhaps in need of some chunking as it solidifies in the below freezing temperatures tonight.

However, even though I was tired and just wanted to finish, I took the time to really, really test the pack-ability of those little flakes and made myself some frozen ammo.  Just one snowball that got thrown harmlessly at a tree.  I noticed my aim hasn't improved over the years.  I was never great in a snowball fight.  But, they also serve who stand there and make snowballs for someone else to throw.

When I get done with my shoveling chores tomorrow, I may have to make a snowman. Never good at those, either.  But sometimes, you just have to find the winter fun.

Only 36 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - What, Again?

Just when I'm starting to become less achy from shoveling Thursday's storm, here comes another one for Sunday.

Now, depending on which forecast you read, we're getting either 3-6 inches of snow or 5-10, both with a possible glaze of freezing rain and sleet in the mix. Personally, I like my forecast of 1-2 inches of snow with no ice. Mind you, my weather prediction isn't based on maps or studying weather patterns or even a gut instinct.

Just pure wishful thinking.

Only 37 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – The Next Day Snow Shoveling Blues

The final total from our snowstorm was 9-10".  That's just an estimate.  I didn't feel like getting out the ruler and measuring.  Besides, there was so much blowing and drifting of the snow – it was snowing almost horizontally a few times – I would have been hard-pressed to find a true snow depth.  The top of the car I drive is probably the closest to it, but I just wanted to get the snow moved, not get nerdy.

So, I found my car, then dug out to the road, walked down and dug a path into my side yard to the heating fuel tank, then back up to the front door and in. Even though it was a fairly light snow, it was tiring work.  I did a quick check online on how much snow weighs, and it's about 15 pounds per cubic foot, give or take a pound depending on whether it's light and fluffy or wet and packable. So, doing the math (I can be nerdy post-shoveling), I was moving 10-15 pounds of regular snow with every shovelful I threw.  I say regular snow because the plowed ridge of dirt-laden snow at the edge of the road likely weighed more.  Still, not that much.  But, it's shifting that amount of weight over and over and over again. One of these times, I might remember to keep count of how many times my shovel digs and throws that white stuff, but I doubt it.

My muscles started to ache about an hour later and I woke to soreness this morning, soreness that will likely last into the weekend.

There was a time earlier in my life when I didn't mind this activity so much. Actually enjoyed it.  But as I approach 60, I'm not such a good sport about it anymore.  Oh, to be able to afford to hire someone for this task.

Only 38 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring – Brown Ground to White

Well, our nor-easter has arrived and they didn’t lie about the snowfall rates, although I think they might actually have underestimated a bit. When I went out around 5 AM, it was a dry snow and there was, at best, an inch on the ground. It’s now just after 7 AM as I type this and there is now 4-5” of snow.  It’s not as light and fluffy, either, although I wouldn’t call it classically packable yet.

I used a pushbroom to clear the way to and around my car at first.  It’s a choice I prefer over the snow shovel.  Can’t use that now.  Regardless of when this storm ends, it’s a shoveling thing from here on.

Oh, how I miss that dull brown ground view from my window right now.

Only 39 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring: It’s the Most Heaviest Snow of the Year

The title needs to be sung to the tune “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”.  The irony of the choice should not be wasted,

I came, I saw, I shoveled.  I also took my time.  The snow was heavy.  The layer sleet and freezing rain that came down on top of that 4-5" didn’t help, either.  This stuff was the kind that you take a few shovelfuls of and then rest, take a few more and rest.  I’m not fan of ICU rooms.

Think of it as a Zen exercise, especially when you get to the super-heavy, super-sloppy plowed ridge(s) at the roadside.  Slow, deliberate movements, taking in the surroundings as you go.  No, not the more snow on top of snow scenario.  The buds on bushes and low-lying tree branches.  The hollowing of the snow at tree trunks from more direct sunlight and the sap starting to run.  The songs being sung by birds which are not all the same tunes you’ve been hearing all winter.  The signs are there and growing.  They may be hard to see unless you look for them, but they are there.

Now, excuse me while I go take some ibuprofen before my muscles and joints start to protest what I just did to them.

Only 16 days until spring.

Click here to view the next entry

Countdown to Spring: More Than Anticipated

Having been on the happy side of what a friend of mine called an "oopsie" with regard to a major miscalculation of the amount of snow anticipated, I'm not surprised now to be on the less than pleased side of said error from the latest round of winter weather..

They predicted less than 1" of snow before yesterday evening.  We got just shy of 3".  They predicted 1-3" overnight,  We got 6".  Granted, it's on not the scale of what they've gotten pummeled with elsewhere, but it's still unexpected and less than thrilling to wake to and still have to shovel.

There is some minor solace in that it'll be going into the 40's today.  Unfortunately, it's going to be immediately followed by single digits and/or below zero temps again tomorrow night.

That's okay, February.  Get your last licks in now.  Come Saturday, you're gone.  I can deal with your antics until then, at least I think I can.

Pass me the ibuprofen.

Only 26 days until spring.

Click here to view the next entry

Countdown to Spring: The Shoveling Has Taken its Toll

Despite an inviting bright blue sky and temperatures warming into the low 30s again, I didn't venture outside today.  I would normally take a walk once the temperature gets into the mid 20s, but the only reason shoes were on my feet were to keep them warm.

Cold, tired and achy was my mantra for this Wednesday.  With only rare moments of activity, I lived under the comforters.  Cats were encouraged to join me because they're little 101°F furry rocks that increase the warmth without turning up the house heat.

I blame shoveling snow in the cold and damp.  Rest, fluids and ibuprofen for another day, and then ...

I go buy seeds for early indoor planting.  Go ahead and let that thought work on your spring fever for a bit.

Only 37 days until spring.

Click here to view the next entry

Countdown to Spring: In a Love/Hate Relationship with the Highway Department

Every time it snows, I make sure that the path from the road to my heating fuel tank is clear.  My neighbor was kind and cut a serious swath for me the first storm and I've kept it shoveled since then.

Let me say first that I love my local highway department.  They're generally out at 5 AM, plowing and sanding first thing and multiple times after that to make sure that everybody who needs or wants to get out on the road can do so.  I always try to wave and say hi when I'm out shoveling.  They earn their salary this time of year, make no mistake.

One of the things they do, of course, is plow the snow off to the side of the road, creating a ridge of the stuff that is markedly higher, and usually heavier, than the original accumulation.  If you had 6" of snow, you're pretty much guaranteed to have 18-24" of snow mountain range along the entire street edge, and that includes in front of driveways and any pathways shoveled to get to the street.

Yesterday, I watched in the afternoon while they took advantage of a quiet time between snowstorms to widen the driving area.  For this, they use a specially angled plow blade that catches the snow at the street edge and forces it further back and away from the road.  It's very efficient.  Yes, indeedy.  It created a brand new 2 1/2 foot high by 3 foot wide snow plateau which obstructed the hand-shoveled path I had just finished clearing the day before.  The new ridge in front of my car was similar to that on one side, but decreased in size as it went up the hill. Either way, I was out there shoveling those mounds of snow back and away from the road, just like the plow was doing.  The plow's back and arms weren't hurting afterward, though.

I'm sure we'll be doing this again in the near future and there's no way to avoid it. They'll plow, I'll shovel, they'll re-plow, I'll re-shovel.  That's the way the game is played.

But they have bigger snow toys to play with.  It's not fair!

Only 43 days until Spring.

Click here to view the next entry

Countdown to Spring: The Aftermath of Linus

Whose brilliant idea was it to name a storm the same as a beloved Peanuts ^TM character, hmm?  I actually know the answer to that question, don’t agree with the choice to name winter storms and said business entity will not be mentioned here.  Only one trademark symbol per blog entry, thank you.  Regardless, it had me humming the piano piece associated with the character a few times while I watched the snow fall yesterday.  I normally measure total snowfall at the end, but was so tired of shoveling by that point that I just didn’t care anymore.  I know it was around a foot of fairly lightweight snow, the equivalent of an inch of rain, give or take.  Pardon my inner weather geek for that bit of trivia.

I can’t remember whether I shoveled four or five times yesterday, I lost track.  I shoveled that frequently to stay ahead of the job so that I wasn’t dealing with a huge pile of snow to move off and away from the car and off my porch and pavers at the end of it all.  Much as I’m in better physical shape than I was this same time last year, I have no desire to visit the local emergency room as a snow shoveling-induced heart attack victim. 

I did manage to frost-nip my fingers the second time out because I didn’t wear gloves – bad Lauren.  The lateral epicondylitis, so-called tennis elbow, that set in as a result of digging out three snowstorms ago, also wasn’t improved by yesterday’s workouts.  This, too, shall pass given time, rest, some doses of a nice anti-inflammatory drug, and a little less shoveling.

Ya hear me, sky bears?

Only 45 days until spring.

Click here to view the next entry