Relative Something

This winter has been a real shovel breaker for me. Yesterday it snowed all day. I waited to get out and work on clearing the driveway until 8:30 p.m., hoping it would be closer to the end of accumulating snowfall. Unfortunately for me, by that time we had about 15 inches of snow. It took me 2 hours to get the bulk of the day’s accumulation cleared, and we gained another inch while I was working. None of the city plows had been out yet, so there will be quite a pile to deal with at the end of the driveway this morning. I didn’t see it until I was almost out to the end of my driveway, but last night there was a car stuck in the street just at the edge of our drive. If it isn’t gone when the plow comes by, he won’t be able to clear the snow very well in the street at the end of our driveway. That will probably mean even more shoveling for me.

I wore out my favorite shovel as the metal strip ripped loose and prevented the scoop from sliding well along the asphalt. I may need to modify it by cutting off the remaining metal to at least use the plastic scoop. It isn’t important to me right now that I scrape right down to the pavement. To finish clearing the deep snow last night, I used the shovel that Cyndie purchased a year ago when I mentioned I should get a replacement for my favorite shovel. I could see it was beginning to show wear. The only thing similar about the pusher shovel that Cyndie brought home is that it has a black scoop and a yellow handle. It is metal and MUCH heavier than my perfect snow pusher. I wasn’t previously aware how much of a shovel snob I am. But after trying to do the same job with a different tool, I realized how much the tool I was originally using allowed my technique to work as well as it does.

I also broke my plastic blade shovel that I use on our wood deck, when I took it up on the roof to battle ice dams back in December. So this winter has officially taken out two of our shovels. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I saw a news item that mentioned this winter as our second snowiest to date. I think the record height of the snow piles on either side of our driveway serve as corroboration for that report.