In case you're wondering why I didn't
post last night, I have a simple explanation: I was preparing for our
first significant snowfall here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.
Anything outside needed to be stored away or secured or covered. Gas
cans needed topping off and the oil in the Official Weekend Pundit
Snowblower needed checking. (It also needs to be changed soon.)
The Weather Guys™
have predicted up to 18 inches (46cm) of snow in this area before
it's all over.
As I write this I have been out twice
(so far) with the Official Weekend Pundit Snowblower – at 7 this
morning to clear the driveway for BeezleBub so he could get to the
farm on time, and again at 1 this afternoon to make sure the
driveway would be clear enough for Deb to make it out using the
trusty F150. (Since I'm on vacation this week she can use the Ford to
get where she needs to go despite the inclement weather.) I've
cleared away about 8 inches total since this morning.
Why am I going out now rather than
waiting for the snow to stop? Two reasons.
First, I don't want BeezleBub's truck
or the F150 packing down the snow on the slope of the driveway any
more than necessary. It makes it difficult to remove and more
slippery.
Second, it's easier to move smaller
depths of snow than trying to move it all at once. It takes about 30
minutes to clear the driveway and parking area in front of and next
to the garage when the snow is less than 6 inches deep and up to 90
minutes if it's over 12 to 15 inches deep. (You have to run at a much
slower speed in the deeper/heavier snow in order to get it to go
where you want. It also means you have to muscle the snowblower
around at a time when traction is lower, something that is always
more dangerous.)
I do have only one gripe about the
weather: the media coverage of the storm.
The local TV stations (including the
ones in Boston) make it seem like Snowmageddon is upon us. As if.
It's winter. In New England. We get snow all the time in the
winter so it's not like it's unexpected. Even 18 inch snowfalls
aren't unusual. Now if this were Atlanta or Miami or Key West, that
would be one heck of an unexpected weather event. But for us this is
normal.
These media folks have got to get a
grip.