It rained what seemed like a foot this past week, and it was incredible to see how fast 3 feet of snow can melt off. The sloped part of our driveway was bare. Until yesterday at 3 pm, when the third January storm hit. Luckily, Kurt and I got in a ski just before.
We had another foot of snow overnight, but luckily we got Roy and Brenda and dogs from the airport, and Zeke, their son from Haines who arrived on the ferry, back to the house and got their vehicles up the driveway before the worst of the snow had piled up.
When everyone cleared out this morning, I put the plow back on the truck. I’d bought 2 sets of brand new tire chains on Facebook. Funny how sometimes you see an item has been on there awhile, and you say you are interested, then don’t hear back for maybe a week. Then boom – a reply that they are still for sale. I think busy people put stuff on there and don’t check responses to their ads for awhile, and maybe I was the most recent to reply and so I get the call. Anyway, the seller worked at Bobcat, so not only were there chains, but the tensioner…..and an extra tensioner. $50. For 2 pair! And unused. They went on almost too easy. And boy, did they seem to make a difference. With the front tires biting more and slipping less, the plow seemed to dig in better. I got to plowing and it looked great when I was done. Still doesn’t take the snow right down to the gravel, and the driveway is still slippery, but my neighbor’s driveway that was plowed out by a professional wasn’t a whole lot better it didn’t seem.
There was just enough snow to shovel that I couldn’t get with the plow to rehab my hip. It’s really something how much better my hip feels. I’ve got a new outlook on things. I feel like I can pack a deer out again. I can climb through the snow again to get to the truck or the woodpile. Maybe this is what people with knee or hip replacements feel like after they get the new part in and get past the pain of rehab, which Brian is going through right now.
No long melt off in sight now. Hopefully we’ve got reliable snow for skiing for awhile.
