Snow!

Snow! It started last night and came down steadily. Snow is my job, and I like to keep on top of it because if I don't... well, best not go there. Thankfully it is sub-sub-freezing cold here, so the snow is light and easy.

I make my first pass on the deck at about 10:30pm. It's so light that I am able to sweep the 2-3 inch accumulation. As I work, I'm wondering why we wanted a bigger deck. It's a new deck and newly stained - ergo, very slippery. I think about leaving the snow to provide traction for the three pups who call my place home. But snow on the deck is a sure invitation for peeing on the deck. What's up with that? So I sweep again at midnight. Of course, doing the deck includes the stairs and concrete slab at the bottom and then a swath into the yard itself. Yes, I am sweeping the dead, frozen grass. Because I am a good dog mom. How would you like to go out in the snow to potty with legs that are only 4 inches long? Exactly.

While I'm doing all this, I am marveling at how light the snow is and wishing for a snow blower (but not really, because I don't have storage space and I don't want to maintain one). I do have an electric leaf blower though. I ponder this for some time. Yes, I am sure it will work. But it is loud and I don't think my neighbors would appreciate a midnight experiment. Maybe in the morning.

Six-fifteen comes way too early but I hop out of bed, climb into yesterday's dirty clothes (sans underwear), and head out to do my pee-on-the-deck prevention sweeping. Then hurry out to get the driveway cleared before the Missus leaves for work. I really give serious thought to the leaf blower. I really want to try it. But I am too embarrassed - afraid my neighbors will have one more thing on me. I shovel the double-wide driveway (too much for sweeping) using my $1 garage sale snow shovel with the broken (not when I bought it) handle. Oh my. Do you know what it's like to be "a little OCD" when doing snow removal? Think about it. Gads. Finally I am done, even shoveling and salting the sidewalk for the Amazon delivery man. (How I love online shopping. Today might be the day to order a shovel. I'll just read 1583 reviews to decide which one is best.)

Fini! I tromp inside to warm my hands and pull off my boots. To my dismay, I realize that when I put on the boots, they were caked with mud from a previous outing. Now I have dirty, icy mud puddles tracked through the foyer, up the stairs and into the kitchen. And it's just 7:30.

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see. -John Burroughs

(and all the snow I need to shovel)

Hope your day is a good one!