I woke up early this morning to go out and shovel snow. That's something Gary usually does but I guess I can use the exercise.
I wanted to get the sidewalks done early because once the school children go by they trample on the newly fallen snow. Not only does that make it more difficult to shovel it leads to icy pavement. By seven, I had the the path shoveled and salted. Then I had breakfast but was out working again soon after.
Around eight I had the driveway cleared and went back inside to do some computer work but by 10 I had to have the deck and steps done so that my mail would be delivered. I have an ergonomic shovel to make the job easier on my back, but I don't like to push too hard. If I throw out my back, shoveling would become impossible. So I do incremental shoveling.
About the time I finished my neighbor Scott came home from his factory shift. He got out his snowblower and did his property. That seemed a little excessive to me, since we only had 2 or 3 inches of snow. I've observed that guys just love those first two or three snow falls because they can get out their machines and make a lot of noise. One of the problems with those infernal noisemakers is that they leave a film of snow behind that turns to ice. Sure enough, later that day, I walked downtown and couldn't use the sidewalks. Instead I used the roads, watching carefully for traffic. I had a choice of slipping on an icy sidewalk and breaking some part of my body or being hit by a speeding car. I opted for listening for traffic.
I managed to walk three miles today and most of the time I was on the streets. There's a long winter ahead and more snowstorms, but I don't intend to let it stop me.
I wanted to get the sidewalks done early because once the school children go by they trample on the newly fallen snow. Not only does that make it more difficult to shovel it leads to icy pavement. By seven, I had the the path shoveled and salted. Then I had breakfast but was out working again soon after.
Around eight I had the driveway cleared and went back inside to do some computer work but by 10 I had to have the deck and steps done so that my mail would be delivered. I have an ergonomic shovel to make the job easier on my back, but I don't like to push too hard. If I throw out my back, shoveling would become impossible. So I do incremental shoveling.
About the time I finished my neighbor Scott came home from his factory shift. He got out his snowblower and did his property. That seemed a little excessive to me, since we only had 2 or 3 inches of snow. I've observed that guys just love those first two or three snow falls because they can get out their machines and make a lot of noise. One of the problems with those infernal noisemakers is that they leave a film of snow behind that turns to ice. Sure enough, later that day, I walked downtown and couldn't use the sidewalks. Instead I used the roads, watching carefully for traffic. I had a choice of slipping on an icy sidewalk and breaking some part of my body or being hit by a speeding car. I opted for listening for traffic.
I managed to walk three miles today and most of the time I was on the streets. There's a long winter ahead and more snowstorms, but I don't intend to let it stop me.
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