As I was digging out from under the heaviest and most unexpected (is it just me or are snow advisories only issued when usually nothing happens, although I do know one degree makes all the difference in the world) snowfall in recent memory Wednesday morning, I suddenly recalled a moment from when my parents were abandoning the family home to move into a condo awhile back.
“Anybody want this snowblower?,” asked my father.
After contemplating it for a minute or so and perusing it’s rather small stature and electrical cord, I declined.
“You know what, I don’t mind shovelling, it’s virtually the only exercise I get,” I proclaimed, kind of implying that snowblowers were for, well, you know, older folks.
However none of my brothers took it either so it went to some stranger, who I assume was happily using it on Wednesday morning and secretly smiling away at his or her good fortune.
OK. It’s nice to share and be generous with your fellow man but that’s not what I was thinking Wednesday morning.
I swear my back literally hurt as soon as I looked out the window and saw a sea of white that I could tell was of the heavy, wet kind, and it was still coming down.
Usually my two boys sleep in every day as their college schedules were made up that way (I swear it’s not so much what courses you take as long as you can avoid 8:30 a.m. classes), but the younger one, being the rookie he is, has a couple early mornings, and no car, so I knew he needed a ride so I had some help.
But even with the two of us working away at it, and getting outside at least eight minutes ahead of our usual schedules, all we could do was clear off the vehicles and make tracks for the cars to get out and get on our way, and we were still late.
I also happened to break one snow shovel along the way and wasn’t looking forward to going home at lunch to finish the job, but I also knew if I left it too long it would only get more water-logged and heavier and more painful for my back…..
So I headed home at lunch, somewhat reluctantly, drove up the driveway, surveyed the scene, let out a sigh, tried to get that damn red snowblower out of my mind, and started in on what looked like could be two hours of backbreaking work, and I was hungry…..
But then I heard something and watched as an older model Honda Prelude travelled up our cul-de-sac and proceeded to do a donut in the unplowed roadway before promptly parking in front of our house.
I was saved, so to speak.
The older son had come home for lunch, and not a moment too soon.
He happily joined me, well fairly happily as he didn’t have to do it himself (which I’m not sure if he would’ve done if I wasn’t there but then again he might have but luckily we don’t have to go there), and we talked hockey and football and the task was done in no time, or at least it seemed that way, my back still hurts today.
Later that night I donned my trusty Sorels and cleaned up the roadway entrance a bit, fearing the looming cold spell will freeze our road full of rock-hard, snow-covered stalagmites that will damage our tires come this weekend, and knocked the snow off some heavy-laden branches and figured we had dealt with the situation as well as we could.
So who needs a snowblower after all?
Well, maybe I’ll get back to you come February on that one but for now we’re doing just fine.
