We are in the middle of another major snowstorm, and the snow is falling fast. I went to the office this morning as I had a fairly important meeting to attend. Jonathan went to UNH because he was having a quiz. They closed the campus at 12:40, 10 minutes after his quiz. At work, we were told to be gone by 3:00, but I bailed at 1:40.
Jonathan and I both made it home OK, but it was harrowing. I drove past our normal exit and went up to the next one because the hills are less formidable that way. I had great difficulty with the first one off the interstate though, since I had to stop at the bottom of the exit ramp and then try to climb the hill from a stop. I didn’t make it. I ended up turning around and going back towards town (downhill). I turned around at a gas station where there was plenty of level ground so I could get a run at the hill. That did the trick. I got home sometime after 3:00, but I’m not exactly sure when. Jonathan was home already, his car stuck in the middle of the driveway. He was running the snowblower.
I figured he’d need to back up and get a run at the little hill just below the garage, but my car was in the way. So I took the snowblower and clear a path to my parking space, took a run at it, and managed to get it up the little hill to its spot.
Then we worked on getting Jonathan in the garage. I had to push him, and we needed to put the floormats under the tires twice, but he got it in there. Then I pulled the snowblower back into the garage and closed the door.
Va was brewing some much-appreciated hot chocolate. I had a cup and rested for half an hour (no more!) Then I thought I should take a few photos, but I had left my camera in the car. I suited up again, braved the elements and fetched it. Penny came along. Here’s the haul:
The House
Penny in the driveway
Penny is looking for a stick no doubt. They are harder to find under the snow, but somehow, she manages.
30 minutes of snow and we got about three inches.
In this shot I’m standing in a spot where I had cleared down to the driveway 30 minutes before. I think that’s about three inches of snow covering my feet. In thirty minutes!
Penny wants me to shovel (so she can attack the snow)
Penny desperately wants me to use the shovel. Sorry Penny. Maybe later.
The sidewalk to the front door
It’s time to go in now.
At least a foot more on the deck
Here’s a shot out the back door. That’s a foot of new snow on the deck.
This is supposed to continue until midnight. I expect we’ll get more than the 12 inches they have forecast since I think we have that already.
Jomegat's Weblog 
February 18, 2014 at 6:00 pm
You got a lot more than we did. We got about three inches today, though they were saying as much as seven. The trouble is it never warms up enough to melt any of it between storms. The tops of the snowbanks along the sides of the path I shovel in the back yard are at eye level. One more storm and I think they’ll be over my head.
February 18, 2014 at 6:25 pm
In the past, I’ve had to knock down the snow banks with a shovel because the snowblower couldn’t throw the snow over them. We’re not there yet, but just about!
February 21, 2014 at 10:55 pm
I like the family of this story. Working with your son to get home. The little woman waiting with hot chocolate. Penny in the snow.
February 22, 2014 at 8:03 am
There was even more family the next day when we had another storm. The second son couldn’t make it up the unplowed hill to our driveway and then got stuck trying to turn around. He called me, and I dispatched his brother to help him get unstuck so he could park the car at Sandogardy. He managed to get himself unstuck before his brother was able to get out of the house though. By the time I got home, the road had been plowed, so the older son and I went to fetch the abandoned car.
It’s nice to have a family that works together without complaining!