Can I just say that Wednesday was a sucky day? It was.
It started when we bundled up to start snowblowing (Don) and shoveling snow (me). Don fired up the snowblower. It just couldn’t handle the snow (something I’ve since heard from many people as to this particular blizzard/snow.) He’d get it going and eventually the wheels would spin around and it was impossible to get it through the snow. We had almost two feet and it was very heavy.
So. What do we do now? We have a long driveway that goes uphill. Don called a couple of our neighbors and one suggested a guy who lives down the street. These neighbors were out of town and he was supposed to plow their driveway while they were gone. Price quoted was fifty dollars. We were wary of trying to clear all that snow by ourselves, so we said yes. I went upstairs to do some work. He came and went. When I looked out the bedroom window, I started cursing like a sailor. He had plowed the driveway – badly – and simply stopped. There was now a pile of snow at least five feet high blocking in our cars. I ran downstairs, went outside and asked Don what the heck happened. Apparently his truck (a small one) kept sliding around on the driveway so he really couldn’t do the job. The driveway looked terrible and there was huge pile of snow at the top of the driveway, along with the wall blocking our cars in.
So for the next three hours, Don worked the snowblower (I finally had to make him go in because I was worried about him) and I slowly cleared a five foot tall wall of snow that was about 8 feet long. I cannot tell you how exhausting it was. We took breaks, of course. But it was awful – the worst snow cleanup I can remember.
Yesterday, I had to slowly maneuver my car out of there (his ‘plowing’ effectively eliminated the area that we use to back up when we’re going to go down the driveway) so that Don could get out. It was a pain. Then it took me two tries to get back up the driveway. Meanwhile my neighbor (now back home) called out to me, apologizing about her recommendation. He’d done a bad job on their driveway, too, and there she was shoveling and shoveling and trying to dig her car out and make the driveway passable. To be fair to our neighbor with the plow, he has a small truck and I think it just couldn’t handle snow of this magnitude.
Lesson learned. We’ve had our drive plowed exactly twice since we moved here and both times it was a bust. Of course, this was an extreme event and most snowfalls are far easier to deal with.
But it’s done and salting helped with any extra snow and ice and we’re okay. Tired, but okay.
Don decided to leave on Monday and I can’t tell you how that changed my mood. I was thinking that he was going to leave today but he worked on his itinerary and route yesterday and decided Monday was the day. An enormous relief as he needs to rest before he goes and I get to have a couple more days with him before he has to leave. We’ll both be leaving on Monday – Don for the West Coast and me for some work in NYC.
After two days of no mail delivery, our mail was delivered yesterday. A ‘new’ Nancy Drew arrived, The Mystery at Lilac Inn. Isn’t this a great cover? I love the period clothes and the two shady men in the other room. There’s our Nancy, listening in as she does some sleuthing.
Speaking of Nancy Drew, I picked this up from our post office box – a gift from reader Mary:
Mary is doing some purging and she found this set of Nancy Drew postcards – all of them with different cover art. She wrote to ask if I would like them, and of course, I said yes. Thank you so much, Mary! I love them.
Now we have to get ready for our respective adventures coming up next week.
Happy Friday.
Stella was one heck of a storm – heavy wet snow – not easy to clean up after. Sorry to hear of your troubles with the plow – we have someone who always does a great job including the front porch (Stella drifted up there too!) Also glad you have a couple more days with Don before he goes away. Enjoy while you can. Stay warm.
Thanks, Karen.
Another reason I don’t live in snow country, I just couldn’t deal with it all. So glad you and Don are ok. So enjoy your weekend, snuggle up and lots of hugs. At least you will be going to NYC when Don heads west. Love the Nancy Drew cover. Your collection is growing!
My head is better today after all the drilling on wed so I’ll take Mom to the grocery store today. Weekend will include, reading, grands and some time with my daughter! Hugs!
Enjoy your weekend, my friend!
Your experience with the snow sounds truly awful. So pleased for you both that you have a couple of days to rest and recover together. Love the book cover and postcards. Enjoy your weekend, Fiona
We will, Fiona!
My DearFriend
We have some pretty ‘Special’ set of circumstances here,Where we have a good size body of Salt water on a desert with very high mountains, on each side. We call that kind of snow, our own special lake effect heart attack snow! I hope that is a rare event for you,as that is very heavy hard snow to move. I’m sure from this point on you will appreciate the very old addage, which I have always found to be perfectly true. “Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder” and like you say,” The beginning of two brand new adventures”. Best to both of you. -Judy A-
Yes, most definitely dangerous snow to shovel – but we had no choice!
Thanks, Judy!
That snow removal sounds horrible. You two be very careful. I cannot imagine moving that much snow. It’s too bad that there is not a big machine around there that could take care of things like that. But, I know machinery like that is very expensive and wouldn’t be used very often. But, hopefully this will be the end of the winter woes!
Take care. Both of you travel safe.
Judy
We’re due for a little snow tomorrow and then it’s going to warm up (it was in the low forties today) and that will hopefully be the end of it!
What an ordeal! Hopefully, that will be the end of it…hopefully. That was a massive amount of snow…only made more difficult, with your snow plower not having the right equipment. I’m glad you get to spend some more quality time together….snow removal does not count. Hope you get all your errands done…and lots of cuddling! ;)
More errands yet to run, but we’re enjoying this extra time together, Donnamae.
Too bad about the plowing, a couple of years ago my husband had to get chains for the snow blower. Works better but still trying to plow two feet of snow is too much for a home snowblower! I hope this is it for snow. Enjoy the weekend and Happy St Patrick’s Day. Sorry I do not have a vegan substitute for you for the corned beef, I cook for husband and just enjoy the vegetables myself. Of course with Irish soda bread too.
Yes. We clearly haven’t had a snow like this one since we bought the snowblower! Thanks, Mary.
Glad the yuck is over and behind you. Although I know it will take a while before it is out of sight. A heavy awful snow like that is always so much worse at the end of the season.
Glad you have a bit more time to get ready for your adventures. I’m sure Don would have rather had a bit more time for his trip, but that just means that possibly the 2 of you can meander slowly back home together on the way back when the play is over. That sounds wonderful!!
Hope your day is productive and that the snow begins to soon melt away.
It melted a wee bit today, but it will take a long time for it to melt, Chris.
So much snow and dealing with it on a hill-ish driveway sounds just awful. I think frustration would have had me looking skyward and yelling “Stelllll-a, Stellll-a” (but no torn t-shirt in that cold)! Tacky I know, but it would have been a little relief to the madness of it all. It does look pristine and beautiful but better out in the middle of a field where it isn’t in the working part of everyday functioning.
Monday sounds like the perfect departure day. Hoping it will help both of you knowing you will be in NYC and not home alone. The new Nancy Drew has the best cover illustration; but then, is there really a bad one? The Lilac Inn illustration just seems extra special. Wishing you and Don a peaceful weekend. Dianne
It’s pretty, but getting to the point where we thought it pretty was pretty difficult!
I think my going to NYC will help because I’ll be busy working on the show and I won’t have time to mope. By the time I get back home, I’ll be able to handle it better – I hope!
I have a new appreciation for snow.
It scares me.
Your photos and description of it have left me feeling exhausted!
From a SoCalifornian who promises not to complain today about her hot weather…
Imagine how exhausted we are! We’re very happy it’s over and taken care of, Vicki.
Oh good! A few extra days with your Honey. That snowfall and removal was monumental! I remember how brutal that shoveling can be. One of the last times I had to do that, I had a vein in my eye blow out and walked around with a blood-red eye for the longest time. Yuk is right! But a lovely Lilac Inn cover.
It’s a hell of a lot of work. Here’s hoping this kind of storm doesn’t happen again for a long time!
What a mess you have had to contend with! Hopefully, spring will arrive and stay next week. I simply love the Nancy Drew book cover! Enjoy Don this weekend. I am praying for safe travels for both of you.
I really love that cover, too! Thanks, Dottie!
Claudia, I’m glad the snow removal ordeal is over so you two can rest and prepare for your respective trips, especially Don, who is headed cross-country. I always took book jackets for granted, but your Nancy Drews give me a new appreciation for that particular art form. Love how sneaky Nancy is, with her heels in her hands.
She’s a sneaky girl, but that makes for a good sleuth!
It may have been a pain but it sure looks beautiful. So sorry about the snow plow. The Secret of the Old Clock was the first Nancy Drew book I read. The book jacket on the other is wonderful. That is an old one. I hope you have safe travels.
It sounds terrible, Claudia. So glad the two of you have the weekend to rest up together. I hope spring is really around the corner for all of us. xo Laura
So do I, Laura!
Happy that Nancy Drew “The Mystery At Lilac Inn” arrived safe and sound. We received a St. Patrick’s Day card in a Post Office envelope with apologies because the card must haven’t wet.
Enjoy your book and those lovely postcards. Glad things are starting to get back to normal after the storm.
Marilyn
Yes. A bit of snow due today, but a minimal amount. Then temps in the fifties next week!
This storm was awful. We were” lucky” to find someone to plow and he plowed and charged us every 6 inches. He said his truck couldn’ t manage the whole 2 ft. Quite expensive but cheaper than a heart attack. My daughter’s neighbor dropped dead this season shoveling and had no health issues that he knew of. My sister the ER nurse says no one over 50 should ever shovel. Be careful out there!
Deb
Well, we have no choice at times! The snowblower usually handles most of it, but this storm was an exception!