The Current State on Snow

It’s official. I’m done with winter. Let’s be honest, I was done with winter before it started. Snow CAN be lovely from inside a living room in a robe and pajamas. But really, this winter has too much snow. Not enough light getting through to my seasonally affected system. Not enough snow days. I have however, learned some things and developed some strategies. 

1.) The shovel makes a difference. 

The large grey shovel pictured below is excellent for essentially plowing snow off a sidewalk or driveway. I have learned that, as a short, muscle deficient individual, it is not excellent for lifting snow above a berm that has formed along said driveways and sidewalks. But. As my neighbor Tyler says enthusiastically “that thing can move snow!”

The red shovel is my neighbors. It’s relatively light and is a great snow pusher. You can tell the pushers because they don’t have a deep scoopy bucket. 

The clear shovel is a lifter. It’s light weight and has been excellent for shoveling pushed snow up and over berms to keep the snow piles from creeping onto our driveway. 

2.) Have neighbors who are the best. It’s fantastic to have the co-op we have going in that we sort of take turns clearing all the driveway and sidewalk. We leave all the shovels on the front porch so that whichever residents are shoveling can have access to the optimal shovel. 

 Having great neighbors  means you’re never shoveling as deep of snow, and you’ve already got all the gear on anyway. Also their adorable sister black labs come out and say hi every time. 

3.) Beware the plows, who, when clearing out streets so kindly block your driveway with snow and slush that promptly turns to solid. Ice. 

4.) When you grill, make venn diagrams in the snow with the hot lid. 

5.) Don’t forget to shovel a space for the canine. His body is small and legs are short.  He is best suited for summer. He is not well suited for snow. 

6.) Remember the days when this trail has no ice and fluttering green leaves. 

Anyway, this California transplant is using the happy lamp, has programmed light switches, is gym-ing mostly regularly, tanning, and avoiding driving. Rico is stir crazy. The kids are going nuts and the sickness is going around. I might be in survival mode. Pray for me. It’s snowing as I write. More snow predicted for tomorrow. 

But summers here are looooovely.  Sigh.