12" of Glue

We ended up with 12" of very, very wet and heavy snow. Then it started raining. It took me 2 hours to get 2/3 of my shoveling done. Two hours of shoveling was all that my shoulder (which I injured back in September) would allow me to do. The stuff was so heavy that for one shovel full of snow, it took several steps to move:

1. Load the shovel
2. Pick up the shovel
3. Throw the snow (but hold on to the shovel really hard)
4. Carefully lower the shovel because it still has 1/2 to a full load on it.
5. Bang shovel on ground so that snow falls off (has to be cleared ground, otherwise the snow doesn't go anywhere)
6. Scoop up the previously shoveled snow
7. Throw the snow (but hold on to the shovel really hard)
8. Carefully lower the shovel because it still has 1/2 to a full load on it.
9. Bang shovel on ground so that snow falls off (has to be cleared ground, otherwise the snow doesn't go anywhere).
10. Etc.

After 2-4 attempts, I could usually get to another patch of snow. The deck was fairly easy because I could bang the shovel against the railing to force the snow to let go of the shovel.

The rest of the snow is still waiting for me (and is probably all one ice brick) since I didn't get home until really late last night, so couldn't shovel then.

WS managed to break the snowblower trying to get rid of this stuff, so he had to make do with the 4-wheeler (which is okay for fluffy stuff, or level ground, but tends to tear up the driveway with heavy stuff - and we are on a hill).

The good thing is that we have enough snow cover and the air is cold enough that I can put out the bird feeders - the bears should be starting their winter's nap, so I shouldn't have to worry about them until spring.

Comments

[Cop Car]

Better you than me, Bogie! I use a scoop shovel (smallish one) for shoveling snow - have for years. I love powder snow, but that heavy, wet stuff is murder. (I think I heard your shovel banging, all the way out here!)

[bogie]

The shoveling yesterday was much easier. The cold air had leached out most of the moisture, so only the top inch or snow was iced over - the rest was a fine powder below.

WS figured out which bolt broke and tried to get one at a hardware store. Naturally, it is a special bolt so we will have to go to where we bought the machine at and see if they have any. Hopefully it's not an item that we have to order since it is supposed to snow again tomorrow.