Digging out

I keep meaning to post a message here, but I've been too tired.
We've had two snowstorms, one 26 inches and the one several days later -- over 15 inches. It took us two and a half days to shovel out from the two footer. We haven't even tried to shovel out from this last one. Just cleared the way for our cars to reach the street and shoveled a narrow path to the door we use when we leave the house.

Maybe we'll work some more on clearing things on Sunday. However, the piles of snow surrounding the cleared areas are reaching 6 feet or more. I simply can't throw over them anymore.

I keep wondering how people handle this in Upper New York/ Vermont/ New Hampshire/ Maine. (actually, people there are complaining that they are not getting their usual amounts of snow this year -- we've stolen it.)

Oh, a funny thing happened while we were shoveling out on Thursday. A young man came by and offered to help us shovel out if we would pay him $10. We should have taken him up on this.

However, being honest, we pointed out everything that needed to be shoveled. (see the driveway -- it needs to be cleared over to those bent down spruce trees. And they have to have the snow shaken off them, so they will straighten back up allowing the rest of the driveway to be cleared. Then we'll proceed to clear the brick walkway down to that old (18th century) stone oven. The walkway continues around the side of the house....)

By this time he just stood there in shock, jaw dropping open. Then he collected himself, gave himself a little shake, and said, "Carry on." And walked on down the road. (sidewalks are covered with four feet of snow.) He was making himself a tidy sum by charging $10 and spending less than an hour shoveling cars and sidewalks. No way was he going to spend several days with us.
-wendieO

Snow -- The Blizzard of 2010

snow:
We got over 2 feet of snow.
Many places in Maryland got more.
We worked at clearing the snow most of the day. I stopped shoveling at sunset.
I didn't feel too bad until I sat down and now every muscle and bone aches.

My husband refused to stop plowing/ shoveling until .. well, until he stopped, because he was afraid he'd never move again after he stopped. But we still haven't reached the street.
We plowed and shoveled the brick walk. He plowed 1/3rd of the driveway while I shoveled my way over to the cars and was able to partially dig out my husband's car. Mine is still under drifts of snow.

He did part of the other third of the driveway and stopped. Now he has to figure out how to get snow off the last third, which is up hill and used to have a drop off where he would push snow, but the drop off is filled up with drifted snow.
Tomorrow, I have to get out there and help him shovel the last third of the driveway to the street.

Unfortunately, temperatures are low -- 20s and teens, so what's left is going to freeze into an ice pack, being even more difficult to plow and shovel tomorrow. But we will keep digging, because we have to. If libraries are open on Monday, we are required to be there. (I even have a program for toddlers scheduled in the morning. Don't know if anyone will show up for it.)

I had a school visit scheduled for Friday, which was cancelled, where I was going to talk about research and revision.
I have a family night program scheduled (in Washington, DC, about an hour and a half away) for Wednesday. It's possible that'll be cancelled, too. Another storm is forecast for then. Next, I have a Reading Association event scheduled Saturday the 20th. Guess what the predictions are for that weekend, too.
Yup, snow.

It used to be that we didn't schedule programs at the library in January because of Ice and snow -- but the seasons have slipped lately and it's Feb and March that seem to have the bad weather, not January.

The 10 year old had a friend sleep over Friday night. The two 10-year olds were very helpful with the snow shoveling. (when they weren't playing in it.) But, since we never were able to reach the street, she's snowed in here and has to sleep over a second night. Tomorrow we hope we can make it to the street so that she can walk to her home several blocks away. I don't think her street has even been plowed, yet. -wendieO