>When it snowed here last week, I didn’t bother to shovel. There was warmer weather predicted, there wasn’t much to begin with, and what the heck is a 4-wheel drive vehicle good for if you can’t get out of your own driveway without breaking your back anyway? The afternoon when the temperature hit 65 degrees, the stuff disappeared like beer at a tailgater.
Ice and snow were in the forecast for this weekend. When the flurries started Saturday afternoon, I made a last dash for the Kroger–where I saw every other resident of the county–and then settled in. Snow turned to sleet turned to ice and this morning there was a nice glaze on the trees, the grass, the driveway. I skated out to the mailbox for the paper and saw it wasn’t as bad as expected, but still it was plenty slick. Since I was expecting guests for lunch (my dog had a playdate with a beagle), I resolved to put my newly asphalted driveway to the test and got out my shovel. Which will never be the same–asphalt and ice will chew up a plastic shovel pretty fast. Did you know that? There was hardly any snow to deal with, but the ice, about a quarter inch thick, was a challenge. At some point it felt like I was only shaving the driveway, and not really engaging in permanent ice removal. It would come back.
Fortunately, though, so did the sun, and my effort–I’m convinced–aided in the melting process. My guests arrived, no one slipped and fell, the dogs had a wild time in the yard, and we had a nice relaxing afternoon by the fire.
