Thank goodness we finally realized that we're ... well... 50 or so.
After laying in bed the other night listening to the porch roof creak and thud under the weight and thawing and freezing - we hired out.
Two guys with shovels and a ladder.
Done.
We've let most of the front walk go.
The driveway has an inch of solid ice.
Now that the roof is clear the snow piles around the house are 6 feet.
We have given up on Ferris' hand me downs and purchased our own braces and wraps, I am using a cane as well.
More snow is coming this weekend, followed by another storm next week.
I am calm. Eerily so.
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Friday, February 04, 2011
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
keeping up
Over the weekend, my achy wife and I tried to tidy up a bit before this next storm (the one going on right now).
Since we live on a busy street - it's been a bit challenging to get out of our driveway due to visibility.
Here is my clever wife bringing down the height of the pile on the left side. She climbed up on top and shoveled it back away from the road - removing about 2 feet off the overall height, and maybe 6 feet back from the road (she moved ALOT of snow).
On the other side - there was really no way to bring the height down - so I just trimmed back the snow bank to widen the driveway. That side is very high - way higher than the cars.
Yesterday we had a couple more inches of sleet. It was hilarious fun trying to shovel this stuff. You would fill your shovel ... well not full - cuz that's just too heavy - then toss it up ontop of the pile. Like sand it would come right back down, along with the layer that was already there. It looked just like sand in an hourglass.
I was unable to help very much with the sleet removal due to a persnickety fever I had for the last couple days. My diligent wife handled the clean up like a champ (she also managed the roof stuff alone).
Tho she does keep asking about the maximum allowable NSAID dosage.
Today we are having an ice storm. There is really no way to clear ice (yay).
I say 'yay' for today - tho I imagine there will be much ice chipping in the days to come before the next scheduled storm, which I believe is Saturday.
With Ferris away I raided his room this morning. Luckily from all his years in various sports, his room is a treasure trove of ace bandages and appendage braces, not to mention all the prescription pain relief he never took (the man just fights through the pain).
By tonight we should be all wrapped up and fairly stoned.
Since we live on a busy street - it's been a bit challenging to get out of our driveway due to visibility.
Here is my clever wife bringing down the height of the pile on the left side. She climbed up on top and shoveled it back away from the road - removing about 2 feet off the overall height, and maybe 6 feet back from the road (she moved ALOT of snow).
On the other side - there was really no way to bring the height down - so I just trimmed back the snow bank to widen the driveway. That side is very high - way higher than the cars.
Yesterday we had a couple more inches of sleet. It was hilarious fun trying to shovel this stuff. You would fill your shovel ... well not full - cuz that's just too heavy - then toss it up ontop of the pile. Like sand it would come right back down, along with the layer that was already there. It looked just like sand in an hourglass.
I was unable to help very much with the sleet removal due to a persnickety fever I had for the last couple days. My diligent wife handled the clean up like a champ (she also managed the roof stuff alone).
Tho she does keep asking about the maximum allowable NSAID dosage.
Today we are having an ice storm. There is really no way to clear ice (yay).
I say 'yay' for today - tho I imagine there will be much ice chipping in the days to come before the next scheduled storm, which I believe is Saturday.
With Ferris away I raided his room this morning. Luckily from all his years in various sports, his room is a treasure trove of ace bandages and appendage braces, not to mention all the prescription pain relief he never took (the man just fights through the pain).
By tonight we should be all wrapped up and fairly stoned.
Monday, January 31, 2011
a slippery slope
Apparently there is a massive storm blowing into the area tomorrow which will bring with it several more inches of snow and then a full day of ice on top of that.
This will be very heavy. A big concern here has been snow loads on roofs.
So far most of the collapses have been flat roofed buildings and sheds. But with a storm like this coming - this could change.
We were watching the news this morning and there were reports of people falling off their roofs and ending up in the hospital all over the area.
Perhaps these people have slightly underestimated their own capabilities or maybe they have forgotten that snow and ice can be slippery.
Our old colonial farm house has a pretty steep pitch to it. This not only helps keep the snow totals lower -but carries the load better.
The problem here is our much flatter lower roof which wraps around half the house.
There is some drifting, and parts of this roof never see the sun - this has us a little concerned. Concerned enough in fact to want to do something about it.
But -with the storm on the way early tomorrow morning, it leaves us no time to hire this job out.
I am working from home today - so my arthritic wife has forbid me to do anything about this until she gets home this evening.
(tee hee)
What makes a dangerous job more fun? That's right, do it in the dark. Might even be better if we were drunk - but I have enough trouble with ladders sober, so we may pass on that.
Unfortunately I don't think we'll be able to get pictures of the project in progress... unless of course the news crews get here in time.
This will be very heavy. A big concern here has been snow loads on roofs.
So far most of the collapses have been flat roofed buildings and sheds. But with a storm like this coming - this could change.
We were watching the news this morning and there were reports of people falling off their roofs and ending up in the hospital all over the area.
Perhaps these people have slightly underestimated their own capabilities or maybe they have forgotten that snow and ice can be slippery.
Our old colonial farm house has a pretty steep pitch to it. This not only helps keep the snow totals lower -but carries the load better.
The problem here is our much flatter lower roof which wraps around half the house.
There is some drifting, and parts of this roof never see the sun - this has us a little concerned. Concerned enough in fact to want to do something about it.
But -with the storm on the way early tomorrow morning, it leaves us no time to hire this job out.
I am working from home today - so my arthritic wife has forbid me to do anything about this until she gets home this evening.
(tee hee)
What makes a dangerous job more fun? That's right, do it in the dark. Might even be better if we were drunk - but I have enough trouble with ladders sober, so we may pass on that.
Unfortunately I don't think we'll be able to get pictures of the project in progress... unless of course the news crews get here in time.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
No...seriously..
we shoveled again this morning. apparently there's more coming on Tuesday.
I took some pictures a few days back, or was it weeks? or was it yesterday.
O well, either way I thought I might like to look back on these.
We'll just call this they year we didn't need the gym.
I should also mention our star shoveler - Ferris, is soaking up the warmth, good food and good times in Florence. He simply bought a ticket, got on a plane, and now he has a little efficiency with a roommate and he is doing some pick up work for a guy he met out there when he did study abroad last year.
He can only stay 3 months without a work visa.
He said before he got on the plane "I have three months to find a wife."
Ok - back out to widen the driveway now.
trying to shovel a path for the 90lb FREE dog
when it hit 2 feet we made the first pass at clearing.
note that our fence is 4 feet tall.
we realized after the storm that we may need to clear more snow - unless the patio was to become her outhouse.
and so we made some paths with the snowthrower.
I took some pictures a few days back, or was it weeks? or was it yesterday.
O well, either way I thought I might like to look back on these.
We'll just call this they year we didn't need the gym.
I should also mention our star shoveler - Ferris, is soaking up the warmth, good food and good times in Florence. He simply bought a ticket, got on a plane, and now he has a little efficiency with a roommate and he is doing some pick up work for a guy he met out there when he did study abroad last year.
He can only stay 3 months without a work visa.
He said before he got on the plane "I have three months to find a wife."
Ok - back out to widen the driveway now.
trying to shovel a path for the 90lb FREE dog
when it hit 2 feet we made the first pass at clearing.
note that our fence is 4 feet tall.
we realized after the storm that we may need to clear more snow - unless the patio was to become her outhouse.
and so we made some paths with the snowthrower.
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