Monday, February 8, 2010

Digging Out

Here's Trucklette, my faithful Subaru Forester, almost completely buried in snow as the digging out process began yesterday (Sunday).

The little engine that could...sort of. This is the "driver's" view of my snow blower, with the length of the driveway stretching ahead of it. You can see that the snow is higher than the cowling on the augur...with heavy, wet snow, this was disastrous. I kept bogging down every few inches on the way out of the shed and up the backyard, with the snow forming a solid plug in the discharge shoot...finally gave up and shovelled by hand. Then i started the driveway, and for a bit it went o.k., then when i got to the lower end of the driveway the snow was wetter and the clogging started again. Fortunately for me, my next door neighbor had a BIG snowblower (it turns out it's his wife's grandmother's) and did his driveway, his across the street neighbor's driveway, and was starting on his next door neighbor's when i walked down there to see what kind of snowblower he had...and to ask for his help. He did the rest of my driveway in about 15 minutes!
After he finished, i went over to his house to at least give him some gas money...i had barely put my hand in my pocket when both he and his wife said simultaneously "no you don't!" They said i was a good neighbor and would do anything to help them if they needed it (of course) and it was Sunday...hadn't had a chance to go to church so was doing this instead. Great neighbors!

Their daughter was messing around, throwing snowballs at her father, so he picked her up and dumped her in a big drift. She did it again, he picked her up and tossed her in another drift...it was very funny, and reminded me of my father tossing my sister and me into the waters of Lake George when we were little kids. Here's Allie peering out of the second snow drift she got tossed into.

"All" that remained was to clear the corral of snow out from around Trucklette and shovel off her cap...left that task for today.
I also cleared a path from the shed to the bird feeder...discovered the snow in that part of the yard was much deeper...up above my knees! I didn't have my camera with me but took this picture with my phone of the interesting patterns in the snow near the feeder...lots of pairs of bird foot prints...and interesting sharp sweeps that i think are from the doves taking off from the ground.
We have another storm warning for tomorrow...another 8 to 14 inches of snow due between tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday afternoon. Yikes!

13 comments:

  1. Lake George, as in upstate NY?
    And to think we're headed in an easterly direction to escape such long cold winters!

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  2. Yikes is right! Am glad you are all shoveled out for now. That's great to have such a nice neighbor. We have been fortunate with the same, who when he can has plowed the very end of the driveway which is the most difficult to shovel for the street plow always adds much more snow to the end of driveways as it goes by. We've had a nice break from snow storms but there's a chance a storm may reach us Weds., though it may just stay to our south. We'll see!
    Sounds like you are having an old fashioned New England winter!

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  3. You are lucky to have a good neighbor that had a good heavy duty snow blower!

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  4. We're glad you have such good neighbours! And SO Glad we don't have that snow. Our municipality here in France was a total disaster when we got a foot of snow. Can't even imagine what would happen with that much! Doubtless NOTHING!

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  5. We never ever saw that much snow and nor has mom. What an amount! We agree that this is disastrous in places they are not used to dealing with that much snow. Our city for sure isn't. How nice of your neighbour to help! The picture of his daughter in the snow drift is very funny and sweet.
    Take care!

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  6. I love to hear good neighbor stories....it restores our faith in human nature...stay warm...

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  7. wowza! that was a storm! thank goodness for neighbors.

    we were a wee bit sad to get no snow over the weekend, but it looks like we will get hammered tomorrow. i am hoping to fly out of la guardia on thursday morning...we'll see...

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  8. We are so glad you got some help with all that white stuff!! Wow!! You do look snowed in!

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  9. Good neighbors are awesome! That is one of the reasons we moved to the Swamp! That is a serious amount of snow! Yikes!

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  10. That is a LOT of snow! And wot wonderful neighbours yoo have.

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  11. What a wonderful neighbor!
    Hope you didn't get clobbered again today! Too much snow!

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  12. Hi...just wanted to let you know that D has left you a comment over on my Shells and Roses about the seaweed in the post called Spring Green!
    Take care!

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  13. That is a lot of snow. Would be fun to play in, we bet.

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