I posted yesterday about how happy I was that Spring officially started last night at 11:06pm my time.
I woke up this morning all pleased that it was officially Spring at last, even though the temperature was still low and I knew it wouldn’t make any real difference to anything at all.
Then, while driving to work, mother nature did what she often does. She kicked me in the nuts.
It started to snow.
Well, of course it did!
Happy “Spring” everyone.
I was outside shoveling tonight. I had been digging and digging for about two hours. It was never ending. My arms could barely lift the shovel, but I was soldiering on. I scooped up some snow, turned around, and threw it as hard and as far as I could…
And noticed that there were two deer at the tree line of the neighbor’s yard that were standing stone still watching me. I kept shoveling and they kept standing there. It seemed like it lasted for maybe 10 minutes. Every time I turned around they were there. They stayed perfectly still, always watching me. It was so cool. I started talking to them. They didn’t run away. Not that I was close to them or anything, and there was a mount everest sized snow bank between us. They had no reason to be spooked, and neither did I. It was just really cool. Eventually one of them calmly walked off into the woods, and a few minutes later the other followed. It was so cool.
Shortly after that I got called into the house for dinner. My beautiful, charming, beloved wife made an awesome chicken dinner and it gave me a nice break from the snow and the freezing cold. I had maybe 30 more minutes of work to do. Most of the heavy snow bank at the end of the driveway was gone, but there was still enough to worry about. I also had to do the fire hydrant. At about 8:00 I stood up to go back outside and finish and what did I see? Our next door neighbor and his snow blower. He had just dug out the fire hydrant and he was starting on the little patch of snow left on the driveway. Woah! Thanks, neighbor! Clearing the hydrant is a big help, but I look at that as him helping out the entire neighborhood. I feel good about myself when I do it, because I know it’s a potential life saver. If one of my neighbors wants a piece of that good karma then have at it. Our driveway though, that was above and beyond the call of duty. Our neighbor is once again a hero of our household! Thank you!
It’s happening again. For the third consecutive week, we kick things off with a huge snow storm. The snow banks at the end of my driveway are taller than I am, and I am wicked tall. Each shovel full has to be tossed about 10 feet into the air to get it over the top of the mountain. If I try to drop the snow on top of the mountain it slides back onto the pavement. I have to go over the top so it slides into the yard. We have an icicle on one side of the house that hangs so low it is only a couple of inches above the ground. The squirrels no longer need to jump to get onto the bird feeders. That is, if the squirrels weren’t buried under four feet of snow.
I am a hearty New Englander. A little snow doesn’t bother me. I stand proudly with my shovel, daring mother nature to do her worst.
Well, that’s how I usually feel. Right now? Our third multi-foot snow fall in just under two weeks has me feeling beaten and broken. My whole body is sore. I’m exhausted. Each time I head out into the storm I feel like I can’t take it any more. Somehow, magically, I get back inside with a clear driveway. I sit down hard on a chair in the living room and hope that it’s over. Then I look out the window again and the clean driveway is covered again. Or, as happened earlier today, I catch a weather forecast that says the next multi-foot storm is four days away.
It leaves me (figuratively) standing defiantly before mother nature with both middle fingers raised in the time honored double freedom rocket salute yelling at the top of my worn out lungs, “YOU SUCK!”
Then I pick up the shovel and start digging. Mother nature remaining steadfastly uninterested.
Hang in there, New England. Just remember that pitchers and catchers report in 11 days. We can make it. It might be a close call, but we can make it.
What the hell is this?
Spring officially begins at some point on Wednesday. The day after tomorrow. How is Mother Nature (the jerk) honoring this change of season?
By dumping 3-5 freakin’ inches of snow on us overnight tonight? Oh, screw you!
On an only slightly related note, is there anything lamer than weather.com’s gimmick of naming winter storms? Come on, you idiots, snow storms are not deserving of names. They are little piddly things compared to tropical storms. Get over yourselves. It’ll be hurricane season soon enough and then you twerps can have your named storms again.
Urgh.
Spring had better get its springy ass here quick.
Inside the Red Head's Head 