Drain the snow
Winter has decided to make an appearance, and the weather coming home last night was not pleasant. Snow, accumulating, difficult to see too far ahead. Then came the slight warmth, so that we had sleet, which is even more fun. I finally got up this morning to the sound of my dad using the snowblower, because while it didn't look like we got very much, it was dense. I saw something where Batavia got three inches, but perhaps it condensed thanks to the rain. All I know is that when we got back from grocery shopping this morning, we left dad's car at the edge of the driveway, moved my car, and spent five or ten minutes cleaning up the rest of the driveway.
Part of the problem is that our temps were supposed to come crashing down. Better clear everything now, while it's above freezing, before the world becomes a solid block of ice. To wit, most driveways and sidewalks on the adjacent block were already cleared, and when we pulled onto our street, a number of neighbors were out working on their properties. I got a surprise when I was on the porch, trying to clear ice from it--I heard my dad talking to someone, a woman, and the next thing I know, the woman and her adolescent daughter are clearing the gutter area of the street, looking for the drains. I told them, see the pile of leaves on the parkway? That's where the drain in front of our house is. Dad would later say he'd already cleared that drain twice. The woman said they'd been looking for other drains along the street and couldn't find any, so everything was going to flow down by us. That's fine. Perhaps it was all damming up by their house and, for obvious reasons, they wanted to clear it out.
Me, I'd really wanted to de-ice the porch. Dad had shoveled and gotten the snow, but the layer of ice remained. I use this door daily; I need to not break my neck when I go outside. Dad had been clearing the end of the driveway and went, don't worry about it, I'll salt. He did grab the old salt we used to keep in the house and went inside, at which point we finally put the groceries away, but looking at the porch I knew I had to go back out there. Dad had wondered why. Yes, he salted, and that would help me clear the ice from the porch, but I can't just leave it be. I don't know how soon it's going to freeze out there, and why take chances? I'm not sure why he cared, either. It's not like I was making him do it.
Part of the problem is that our temps were supposed to come crashing down. Better clear everything now, while it's above freezing, before the world becomes a solid block of ice. To wit, most driveways and sidewalks on the adjacent block were already cleared, and when we pulled onto our street, a number of neighbors were out working on their properties. I got a surprise when I was on the porch, trying to clear ice from it--I heard my dad talking to someone, a woman, and the next thing I know, the woman and her adolescent daughter are clearing the gutter area of the street, looking for the drains. I told them, see the pile of leaves on the parkway? That's where the drain in front of our house is. Dad would later say he'd already cleared that drain twice. The woman said they'd been looking for other drains along the street and couldn't find any, so everything was going to flow down by us. That's fine. Perhaps it was all damming up by their house and, for obvious reasons, they wanted to clear it out.
Me, I'd really wanted to de-ice the porch. Dad had shoveled and gotten the snow, but the layer of ice remained. I use this door daily; I need to not break my neck when I go outside. Dad had been clearing the end of the driveway and went, don't worry about it, I'll salt. He did grab the old salt we used to keep in the house and went inside, at which point we finally put the groceries away, but looking at the porch I knew I had to go back out there. Dad had wondered why. Yes, he salted, and that would help me clear the ice from the porch, but I can't just leave it be. I don't know how soon it's going to freeze out there, and why take chances? I'm not sure why he cared, either. It's not like I was making him do it.