I dig this
The stupid snow won't stop and my lovely new home with the huge driveway is now impassable. I'm trapped! Kaj sprains his ankle walking home the first night of the snowfall and it's up to me to dig us out. Not only is my driveway blocked but so is the 8 car driveway blocked as the only entry is via gates that need the snow to be removed in order to open them. 
If I even managed to dig through to the gate this awaits on the other side. 
The walkway to the front door and mail box is also up to my waist in snow and so I dig, dig , dig...alas breaking free! I awake each morning of my holidays at 6 am, dig for 2 hours, rest for 1, dig, dig , dig - only stopping at 9 or 10 nightly. I'm making headway! I realize I must walk to the end of my block to shovel the sidewalk as that is my responsibility. Then the %^$%$#@ snow plow comes and leaves boulder size chunks that weigh a ton and is almost impossible for me to move - making my front walkway, driveway and sidewalk impassable. Urg! Typical of West Coast weather is now rains - making the snow heavy and compact. I hear news reports of roofs and porches collapsing. Each shovel full of snow weights a ton. I get a ladder and clean the gutters of ice jams until 10 pm. Kaj's ankle still swollen and is elevated. He awaits for me inside - unable to help. I'm cold , wet and yes even a tad grumpy. 
I curse for not placing my van in the heated 3 car garage. Alas my bunnies are in there - nice and toasty warm so that cheers me up. 
Finally!!! After 4 days of 16 hour days...I have dug enough to free my van!!! Urg! Van won't start. I call a tow truck for boost. Still won't start so he says he'll come back to tow me but he needs enough room to manuver and I'll have to have the second gate opened. Kaj (who can now finally walk again and I look dejectedly at the pile behind the second gate). We dig, dig, dig.... The possible reason for the van dying is a frozen fuel line...ah so much for the heated garage. Ha Ha! Van gets towed to dealership and I walk into a rental company. The fellow says the pickings are slim (due to thousands unused to driving in this weather and numerous accidents). However we have vans he says. I spot a high end 4 by 4 Jeep which is far more costly than the van. I'll take that one!!!! Sometimes you're willing to pay anything for freedom. 
I then can finally get out and drive to my other home which I've been so worried about. No one has shoveled the porch which is now weighed down by heavy snow, sidewalk not shoveled , nor the road. I drive there.....and dig, dig, dig. Return back to my new place......as I'm walking in I lose the one high tech tag thingie which works as a key for that Jeep....in the snow. NOOOOOOOO!!!! I can't dig and shift 1/2 acre of snow!!! I've already dug enough snow to last a lifetime. Wearning miner hat headlights I search until 11pm..bone weary and aching I enter the house. Kaj goes out to look and finds it!! Christmas dinner was cancelled due to the snow as no one could get out - I was supposed to host it. We've decided we're having it in March instead. Forget about moving bricks! This 100 pound body of mine is now ripped and toned from moving snow! Buffed and toned , Marianne |
|
|
WOW!!!!!! 
What a time you had!!!!!!!!!  |
Sheesh! Looks like Karma got snowed in too  you deserve much better than all that digging.
I would have just stayed in! At least all the critters are nice and warm with a good supply of food  |
| I changed my mind.
I'm not interested in experiencing a white christmas anymore. lt LOOKS all nice and peaceful, it SOUNDS like a lot of hard work. |
| Oh, I so don't miss snow. Plz becareful in the snow Marianne! |
| WARNING!! Some lewd language. If you are offended, don't read!
Marianne, your saga reminded me of this: December 8: 6:00 PM. It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window, watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow! December 9: We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snow plow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life! December 12: The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we'll d definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor. December 14: Snow, lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to *20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so. December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all. December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on my a** on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel. December 17: Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room. December 20: Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the darn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. freakin' snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying. December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white s** fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to p***. By the time I got undressed, p*** and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's too busy. I think the a****** is lying. December 23: Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she...nuts??? Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's damn well lying. December 24: 6". Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the SOBwho drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow by his privates. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for the freakin' snowplow. December 25: Merry Christmas. 20 more inches of the @#$%^& slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to kill her. December 26: Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves. December 27: Temperature dropped to -10 and the pipes froze. December 28: Warmed up to above -5. Still snowed in. THE B**** is driving me crazy!!! December 29: 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave-in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am? December 30: Roof caved in. The snow plow driver is suing me for a million dollars for the bump on his head. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted. December 31: Set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling! |
omg - living in the northeast and having my share of blizzards I laughed my a$$ off - too bad the people around me have no idea why 
not at you Marrianne of course. sorry I really do feel for you - but think about it not again for what 40 years? |
| Welcome to New England West!
(Or Buffalo. Or Syracuse.) |
| Oh, I totally hear you Marianne!! What an eye-opener - we're just not used to this much snow, I don't even own a snow shovel (my neighbours kept shovelling out my driveway, bless their hearts ... and come spring they get to borrow my power washer whenever they want, that's for darn sure).
I can totally relate to SheepieBoss's post - the snow was SO beautiful at first, oh how I loved it! ... now not so much. |
| ah Marianne thats life in Canada LOL, and just to make you feel better just keep remembering that it only happens every ten years not like here where it's a yearly occurance |
| SheepieBoss I Love you~!!!!!!!
That story was in my mind when I was shoveling the snow..only vaquely remembering it, as I had read it maybe 20 years ago??? This time it even made me laugh harder!!! I seem to also remember there was a bit more cussing in the story but I know you tamed it for the readers. Admittedly I was cussing and cursing the snow too. 
Mim, Be careful what you wish for! I envy your weather in Aus and would hop on a plane in a mega second...if the planes weren't grounded here. LOL. Thanks everyone for the comments and hoped you enjoyed the chuckle. I know when I'm a little ole lady I will be able to say..."I remember that storm of 08 ...blah blah blah. We West Coasters have been spoiled...and it's time for the East Coasters to see us as the wimps we really are! Ha Ha! YOU GUYS rock! Marianne |
| I'm laughing at the photo of your shovel! I guess they don't sell snow shovels in B.C.! |
| Good one - I hadn't noticed the spade shovel!!!
I hope you get/stay dug out. |
| Snow shovels will bend when you're chipping the ice, that type of shovel is a must! (Lesson learned last week while watching my car get dug out) |
| A square front garden edger is frequently used as an ice chopper to save the shovel's edge and/or point.
I have also used the crescent shaped version to chip ice, works very well for very thick ice, but I think the square edge does a fine job on thin to medium ice. Here's a pic of both, click through for full size: 
You should be aware that chipping ice may injure the surface below... |
Ah yes, a snow shovel. The stores were sold out of them and mine was back at the other place ,which of course I couldn't get to. 
I think the last show shovel I purchased was probably 10 years ago. The previous home owners left a shed full of tools for me and there might have been one in there, but again as luck would have it the branches from a humongous tree fell on top and near the shed blocking the entrance. I tugged and pulled with all my strenghth but was unable to move them. Of course I was standing in snow that passed my knee high rubber boots. Ah the nice feeling of having it slowly melt again my now frozen toes. Sticking my hands in the gutters to free the ice jams almost compared - I went through three pairs of gloves to do it. Merlin, Panda and Snoop probably froze their dingleberries going pee in that snow so I shouldn't complain. When the snow was soft and fluffy (the first night) they played and frolicked in the white stuff. The next day when it was compact and hard after the rain - they all looked at me as if I was nuts when I opened the door.
I did finally use the hot tub! Every 2 hours to ease the pain I felt in my elbows and shoulders. I never did run out of steam shoveling, but it was the swinging motion of the now accumulated huge piles of snow which the next shovel full had to go to. The mounds got higher and higher or else I would have to carry each shovelfull down the road to make a pile there. The space on the side of the driveway was limited as just below are huge drainage ditches which I couldn't block as that's where the melting snow will go. I look forward to soon have fast moving water on each side of my driveway and in front of my home. What's not to love about this weather?  I had visions of sipping hot chocolate by a cozy fire but my arms can't even hold a cup up to my frozen lips. If I ever complain about the summer heat I'll remember to read this post.
At least I'll now have 9 more years to make plans to make sure I'm somewhere nice and hot the next time around. Aus, Arizona, Florida, Mexico, here I come! |
SheepieBoss wrote: WARNING!! Some lewd language. If you are offended, don't read!
that was one of the biggest laughs i've had in a while!
i want to run out and rent Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. |
| I keep re-reading it......as I can relate to that post!!! Thanks again for posting it Sheepie Boss!
I still have my rental 4 WD Jeep...sigh going hate returning it. I was only going to keep it until the van was fixed . The van was fixed 3 days ago and I have yet to pick it up. The nice thing was I was able to get into Vancouver (I live in the burbs) so I can take my mom who needs a walker to get around out for her banking and grocery shopping. It was also my oldest son's birthday and he doesn't have a vehicle either but lives close to my moms place. I was able to do the same for him too. He normally walks 5 miles back and forth to work but with this snow it's been hard on him too. So I can't complain at least I got a chance to get out for a while. Marianne |
Sheepieboss, thanks for the great laugh and the memories. I'm love'n Florida even more! Your posting reminds me of why I moved here. 
Sorry Marianne, I hope you dig out soon....the door is always opened here...that is if your airplanes ever get off the ground. Happy shoveling. |
| hmmmm. I would have called someone with a plow to come dig me out....or I would have stayed in lol....altho we did have to dig that much out last year.....several times |
| I can relate, big time. I'm not too far away Marianne just on the other side of the bridge. But my community is high up and we have much more snow than our neighbours just a few blocks away. It looks like fairyland in my area which is full of charming ,character homes with little white picket fences and beautiful old gardens.
But then there's the reality of not being able to get my car out of the garage, even with snow tires ! We exit from the garage off the unplowed back alley way which is sheer ice under all the crusty white stuff and on a hill. What a lost cause . Can't park in front of the house cause it's nothing but huge snow drifts which are frozen solid . I've been driving my husbands 4 wheel to work while the poor guy takes public transit . My dogs are stuck at home missing daycare . I'm sick of shoveling . It's freezing out and still snowing . Please make it go away........... I'd post pictures but still haven't figured out how to do it . |
Well, all that snow etc sounds just like where I am right now! Today, in between show storms,my garage door opener quit, and there was ice on the inside of the garage windows by the time the overhead door guy arrived! The door was balking from before Xmas, but I could get it to close.The new year proved too much for it! Next week, for a paltry sum of $400.00 Canadian, the nice man will install a new motor!!!  |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|