The Winter of Our Discontent

Here it is: Three days into the new year and I've shoveled about a dozen times already.

Pretty unusual.

You see, where we live here in Kansas, most of the snow that falls melts within a few days. We spend a lot of the winter with no snow on the ground. But this winter is different. We are having snow after snow. And it is staying cold.

By my calculations we are at roughly 18 inches for the winter already. There is around eight inches on the flat.

As I was shoveling early this morning, I had the realization that this was just like a Minnesota winter. Piles of snow and cold weather.

I realize that it is not near as cold here as it is up north, but it is cold enough.

Many people have not shoveled out from the first big snow storm preferring to just ram their way through the snow and ice clogging their driveways. I, on the other hand, subscribe to the: Shovel Early, Shovel Often" philosophy of snow removal. It is better to get out and shovel several small snow falls than to try and clear it all at once after the snow quits falling. Keeps ice from forming and the snow loads from being too heavy.

And there is a certain sense of accomplishment from looking out at a clean driveway and sidewalk several times.

So for the time being, I'll keep on clearing snow as it falls.

But there is another "heavy snow event" due in on Wednesday...