. By the grace of God, I did not lose power during the storm. For that, I'm extremely grateful. I'm less enthusiastic, however, about the amount of snow dumped on the driveway. It's over a foot, less than two feet. Maybe about 18 inches or so.
I put on some long john's and headed out to start up my small electric snow blower. The bottom of it sits just a few inches off the ground, so it's really not meant for deep snow like this. I had to keep pushing and pulling it across the top of the snow, going back and forth until I got down to asphalt. It was very tiring to do, but probably not as tiring as shoveling.
The wind kept gusting periodically, and changing direction constantly, so every time it did, I got cold, wet snow blowing in my face.
Then I had to keep tromping through the snow to break it up, which made it easier to run the snow blower over it.
I spent about 2 hours out there and I did get about 3/4 of the driveway done. The part near the road is the worst, and I always have to do it by hand becus my 75-foot-long electric cord doesn't reach that far, plus the snow plows really pack it in.
I also shoveled my front steps and landing area.
So I've come in and am making lunch. Exhausted, mostly my arms. But I saved my back. I'm allowing myself 2 hours to rest inside before going back out again, this time with my roof rake and a small aluminum step ladder, to rake the snow off the lower 2 feet of the roofline, to avoid ice dam problems.
I'm going to get soaked all over again, but it needs to be done.
I have to do it today becus it's getting down to single digits tonight and that snow pack will harden, making it much harder to rake off.
I doubt I'll have much energy after that to finish shoveling the driveway down by the road, but it would be nice. Otherwise, will have to do in the morning so i can get out of here and do my thing.
I cut up a sweet potato and am baking sweet potato fries right now.
My knee-high rubber boots are wet, as are my jeans and long johns. I have other boots, but they're not at all high. May have to resort to putting plastic bags around my feet to keep them dry.
UPDATE:
Ugh. I went back out a second time this afternoon. I thought it was important to do the roof raking, and indeed, the sunshine had already started melting snow above the gutters, but by mid-afternoon, things had cooled down and baby ice dams and icicles had already formed over the gutters! I raked the lower foot or so of the roof, even got the darned extension ladder out, dragged it through the snow and set it up to chip off some of the ice. Finished shoveling in front of my garage also and did a little down by the road, but left the rest of that part for tomorrow.
I used the plastic bags but got soaked anyway from the knees down. Tonight I'm chilling with a movie and in lieu of the hot chocolate, it's decaf tea and some dark chocolate.
The great dig-out begins
February 9th, 2013 at 05:48 pm
February 9th, 2013 at 06:48 pm 1360435680
The plastic bags sound like a very prudent idea.
I hope you have some hot cocoa (or other hot beverage) you can treat yourself to when you get back in!
February 9th, 2013 at 06:55 pm 1360436130
February 9th, 2013 at 07:46 pm 1360439206
Your plastic bags reminds of the bread bags we used in our boots as kids years ago - hadn't remembered until you said. Bread bags were even on our school supply lists in elementary school, because we went outside every day for gym and recess, whatever the weather!
Oh, and I third that cup of hot chocolate!
February 9th, 2013 at 08:35 pm 1360442124
February 9th, 2013 at 08:49 pm 1360442980
Glad you have power and have weathered the storm well!
February 9th, 2013 at 10:06 pm 1360447570
February 10th, 2013 at 03:54 am 1360468464
February 10th, 2013 at 04:07 am 1360469262
February 10th, 2013 at 04:12 am 1360469558
February 11th, 2013 at 12:10 am 1360541409