Snow Daze

These winter days without snow don't bother me, in fact I am content not shoveling snow more than I enjoy watching Cathy not shoveling snow.

I've picked up a few sno-blowers over the year from clients who were moving to warmer clients or smaller driveways. Every Dad probably looks forward to handing the job over to the younger generation and I was no exception. Aaron felt good about getting the keys to the sno-blowers. He didn't object to shoveling provided he could shovel with the sno-blower. Fine grading the "finished" work was left to Cathy. Aaron did the job to my level of satisifaction--Blow it off the driveway and walk and let the sun do the rest. Cathy, a perfectionist, would scrape the chunks.

When Aaron was away at MBA in the winter of '04, Patrick stepped up and took over. I don't think he liked being covered head to toe in blown-snow the way Aaron did, "That's a good look, Frosty", but he did the work with the enthusiasm of a young boy with keys to any machine.

Our winters are mild as far as snow goes and that's not a good thing for two boys who live winters for a----Snow Day!!!! YESSS!!! Nothing gave our boys morning energy like a Snow Day. ......DEFOREST SCHOOLS CLOSED..... The DeForest School Superintendent's approval rating would sky rocket--- Thank you, Thank you!!! I take back all the bad things I said about you!!!! Hot chocolate and marshmellows, Peanut butter and Jelly, fresh baked cookies, were the foods of choice. Cathy was at her best in the worst weather. Snow forts, snow-men, (later some anatomically correct sno-women) and sno-angels filled our yard. Aaron and Patrick went through the usual dozens of mittens in a typical snow day. Lots of boots full of snow and frozen snow cling-ons made their way into Cathy's kitchen. How this house was built without a mud-room was never more on our minds than in those days.

In January '05 Aaron was 17 and home with time to take on the snow-blowing job again. A good sized storm filled our yard and driveway with deep, wet snow one night. In the morning, Cathy and I went someplace, leaving Aaron home alone. Aaron was used to lots of snow in Oregon, but he was not comfortable with the cold of a Wisconsin winter. Eager to get back to helping around the house, Aaron called to ask me for a refresher on starting the sno-blower. I guided him through and I heard the engine fire up.

Cathy and I finished our errands and returned home to a perfectly SHOVELED driveway. Right down to the asphalt and concrete--just the way Cathy liked it. Aaron was lounging on the couch. "Hey. I thought you were going to use the sno-blower?" I asked. "Somethings wrong with it. Oil was leaking all over the place." Really? "Yeah, it worked for a while and then it started to make a loud noise, smoke was pouring out and then it quit. Oil all over the place." was Aaron's explanation.

I looked at the machine and noticed the oil, a crack in the metal, and the shifter in 5th gear. Aaron had a knack for breaking things through good intentions. I knew Aaron was back.

Our driveway has not seen a sno-blower since that day. The few snows have been hand shoveled by a combination of Cathy, Patrick, and me since. ( I should qualify that, Mr. Bradley probably cleared our driveway in a big snow.) The broken sno-blower was given away to someone who might be able to repair it. I never wanted to use it againa nd didn't want to see the crack which would be too much of a connection to Aaron.

I did purchase another old sno-blower from a client who moved to a bigger driveway. That sno-blower sits idle. A little piece of insurance. I'm OK with that.

On a sunny 33 degree January Sunday morning--no snow in sight,

Tom