Winter Thinking

The backyard in Fiskdale.

I am not going to state the obvious.  After a while one becomes either immune to those kind of observations, or excessively hostile, so I will just share my thoughts.  That's what I do.

Here I go.

What the hell is happening with our weather?!

Did I go to sleep in Fiskdale and wake up in Anchorage?  No, because they've only received 20 inches of snow this winter.  Is our weather permanently changing to this degree?  It will be mid June before the snowbanks at Stop & Shop are gone.

I wrote on Facebook this morning that I am thankful for much in life, and when Mary told me it was -8.7 f at 6:00 this morning I added indoor plumbing to the list.  I also want to add insulated gloves, and boots, ear muffs, Thinsulate ® in any garment, a car that will start on the coldest of days, ergonomically correct snow shovels, and snow blowers.  Snow blowers may not top the list, but my life has been made so much easier thanks to Arthur Sicard, the snow blowers inventor.

Our driveway is not that long.  Twenty feet from garage door to street, but it is double-wide, and one side runs up along the garage for another 20 feet.  Still, not a massive driveway.  The thing that makes our driveway a challenge is it is on Route 148, and the plow drivers take pride in keeping the road cleared from edge to edge.  This means more snow berms to get through at the end of the driveway, more often.  Now, the road might not be scraped to pavement like other roads in town, but it is wide.  The town also doesn't like to salt the hill coming up from Route 20 causing all sorts of havoc, but the road is wide, and our snow blower lives to clear out the front of our driveway a half dozen times each storm.

The mailbox is still standing.

I am not complaining at all.  This season our mailbox has survived the plow drivers wrath.  I marked the edge of our lawn with six foot orange stakes.  I am sure they have helped guide the plow.

This unprecedented winters snowfall has affected all of our lives in ways we could never foresee, and it is only February 16.

We had the house insulated this past fall, and so far we have been a lot more comfortable.  The other day I added some weather stripping strips along the front and side door.  They are a bit snug, and it is like popping open a Tupperware lid to enter the house now.  Which reminds me, I promised Mary I would adjust them so she won't have to throw her self at the door to get in the house again.

I say the last of the snow piles will be here through April.  Maybe a bit longer.  The next season will depend on sump pumps, and wet vacs.

Stay warm, and dry.