Do
you prefer any particular type of snow?
When
I was a kid, I wanted the wet and heavy snow to fall. The kind
that works best for building snowmen. The kind that packs best
when you pile it up and try to hollow out an igloo. The kind that
makes great snowballs. (Snowballs that you won’t be allowed to
throw at your sisters, no matter how much they’re acting in a
way that would justify it.)
Every
so often, I talk to people from different places about snow. It
usually comes up with people that have never seen it. People from
warmer areas that would like to experience it. And for them, my
guess is that even though the snow itself would be a show, for
the most part they fall into the snowman, snowball, snow angel
groups. The complete fun-day-in-the-snow experience.
As
I’ve gotten older, my thoughts have spread a bit as far as snow
is concerned. I still live in a place where a handful of storms
each season are inevitable. These days though, my usual thoughts
are focused on cleaning up.
I’m
fortunate, in that we usually use our garage for getting in and
out of the house during the winter months. This in turn means
I don’t have to worry much about shoveling. Most of the paths
don’t need to be cleared. As long as I make certain the grill
is accessible, the finer points of cleaning up are almost all
checked once I get the cars cleared off.
The
result is that we focus on the snowblower. And, perhaps surprisingly,
I prefer the wet and heavy stuff as a result.
I
know. Might seem crazy. When it comes to dealing with shoveling
and clearing snow, light and fluffy seems like an obvious choice.
But have you ever tried to use a snowblower on light and fluffy
snow when the wind begins to pick up? Basically, the snow heads
up the chute, hits the air, and explodes. * POOF
* The fluffy snow at times will carry with the wind, but usually
it just blows up into a massive cloud and scatters. It hits you
in the face, gets into any open areas of clothing, and more often
than not the majority of it settles right back on the driveway.
(And if you are trying to send it against the wind, just give
up and head back inside until the wind dies down.)
The
heavier snow will carry, even into the wind. Cleans up and moves
nicely thanks to the snowblower. I like that. But that’s not to
say heavier wet snow is preferred all around.
We
have a satellite dish on the roof of our house. Get into the roughly-about-freezing
temperature range, bring in the snow along with a bit of water
and a bit of ice, and it is not at all uncommon to lose reception.
If you want to feel foolish on a cold winter day, try trudging
through a few to several inches of wet, heavy snow with a ladder
in your hands. Nothing like it. Quite the feeling of wrong-place-disconnect
to arrive at the corner where the dish sits above you on the roof,
lean the ladder into place, and begin climbing with something
in your hand to assist in wiping off the dish.
The
end result is that I never know what to expect, or what the best
situation might be for any storm. This might be easier to clean,
while that might mean more to do, and the wind and water and freezing
and so on just makes an already wonderful situation a bit tricky.
We
use oil to heat the house. Tank—because, of course—sits on the
far side of the basement when compared to the location of our
driveway. And, it turns out the oil company likes to have a path
to the tank clear when making deliveries. I try to pay attention
to the tank, especially at the beginning of the winter, and every
so often during the colder months. Why? So that if we do need
oil, I can make arrangements to have it brought to the house at
a time when I don’t need to break out the snowblower and use it
on the lawn to create a walkway. That tends to be a fun little
project when needed.
We
got about a foot of snow this weekend. Off and on flurries have
followed with an additional few inches, and high winds are sweeping
immense drifts into existence while covering already cleaned spots,
and it’s a never-ending mess. It’s also the light and fluffy kind,
so that swirling, pounding wind and deep freeze greets those stepping
outside to clean it up. Lots of fun. And yet, it doesn’t necessarily
matter.
There
is no perfect way of recovering from any storm. No great day of
the week or fantastic hour for the snow to arrive. No preferred
amount on the ground for the tools to use.
Whether
you are looking for fun, or an easy time in the driveway and paths
around the house, all you can do is hope for the best. (And be
prepared for the worst.)