A Wonderful Christmas

Looking back over the last 24 hours, all I can say is; Wow.

So many wonderful memories; quality time spent with loved ones, an abundance of excitement, smiles, handshakes, hugs, and kisses, both gotten and given, as we whisked our way through multiple households, landing back in our own late on Christmas day to talk and nap, then talk some more, mainly about how much we love our large extended family, and each other.

The frosting on the cake, though, was something that happened this morning. My wife and I had opened a couple of gifts while we had our coffee, barely scratched the surface actually, then had to pack up and head out. Our material pleasures could wait, there can be no delay when you’re driving Santa’s sleigh. As we headed out, we realized that it was snowing very lightly. The neighborhood was still and silent, and there was a surreal quality to the moment as we stood there and drank it in.

We had just received the ultimate Christmas gift, one regaled in song and story; a white Christmas, and the best kind, no less; a transitory one that didn’t involve shovels or scrapers. Nice.

The beauty of that moment can not be retold, but if you click on the video below, close your eyes, and think back on the faces and places of the day, you can have a beautiful moment of your own.

I hope you enjoy our little Christmas gift to you, and may all your Christmases be white.

It’s Just Snow Fun Anymore

Growing up here in New England, winter doesn’t usually bother me that much. I’ve learned to roll with it, taking the good times with the bad, balancing the drudgery of the cold and snow with the small joys of the season, like skating, skiing, or just sitting snug by the fire.

This year has been different, though. We’ve been stuck in this pattern where every 2nd or 3rd day it snows. Sometimes just a little, sometimes a lot; 2” on a Sunday, followed by 16” on Tuesday, followed by another 6” on Friday, has taken all the fun out of the season.

Actually, there’s just no time for fun. Shoveling, snow blowing, and then shoveling some more, followed by a healthy dose of roof raking, followed by the disposal of the freshly displaced roof snow. Over and over and over again. And when it’s not snowing, I seem to be spending all of my time moving snow around, cuz there’s just no place left to put it, or chipping ice, cuz when the snow melts, there’s no run off.

I don’t think I can take much more of this; I’m beat and beat up. My right hand has been alternating between numbness and throbbing pain (Carpal Shovel Syndrome?), my back is killing me, and being wet and cold has become a way of life.

I’m tore down, baby; I’m almost level with the ground. I need to go someplace warm. Of course, the way this winter is going, my roof would probably collapse while I was away…

Speaking of rooves, what I’d value as much as a getaway, is back to back sunny days. We got all rain on Saturday night, as well as some intense thunder and lightning, instead of the predicted snow, and then a warm up to the mid 40’s today with bright sunshine. Between all of the roof raking and the warm up, I made some decent headway on the ice dam front. I even got most of my gutters reopened and the ice flows around the doors greatly reduced. One more day of sun would be huge.

Funny how your priorities can be so situational; with two more storms predicted for this coming week, one more decent day could make all the difference.

So for now I’ll just bide my time, wrap my claw, and hope for sun.

That, and the knowledge that the boys of summer have started arriving at City of Palms should be enough to get me through. I’ve got my place booked for almost all of Spring Training this year, and I’ll need to bop down between tenants for some quick landlord duties. Maybe I’ll even manage a trip or two to the park. That’ll get my sap flowing again.

Oh yeah.

No Mas!

That's it. I've had it with winter.

Although yesterday's snow was light and fluffy, 9 inches of light and fluffy snow is still a pain in my lower back to rearrange.

I think this one bothered me more because I've been in Florida since Christmas and I've lost my winter mindset completely. Plus it was a two day cleanup. We had about 6 inches when I did it last night, but the plows and another 3 inches of fluff insured a repeat performance today.

There are two things that I do enjoy about snow storms though, and I use them both in tandem to help me slog through to the finish.

When I first get started I derive great pleasure in the throaty growl of my trusty Toro two stage. Hearing it start, rough at first, and then smoothing out nicely, fills me with delight. I get that "I ain't gonna have to shovel all this crap" euphoria, and I dive right in with a maniacal grin.

After a little while that feeling starts to fade as I tire of bulling it through the bankings and the blowback freezing on my face and beard thickens. That's when I know it's time for my second small pleasure.

Gatorade slush.

Before I start I take a large plastic cup of orange Gatorade out with me and jam it into a snow bank. Between the cold of the snow bank and the falling snow landing in the cup it reaches the perfect viscosity in no time. Oh, baby... that's good stuff.

But not that good. I'm going back to Florida.