Big storm

As I started to wake up Saturday at about 8 am but then to roll over and try to sleep some more, I suddenly remembered that it was supposed to have snowed during the night.  I had the thought that it might be timely to break out the snow blower that I got for Christmas a year ago and never used.  I opened the curtain, and what to my wondering eye should appear but 12 inches of fresh white stuff.

I got dressed in warm clothes, put on the snow boots that I also got last year for ice fishing but never used, and went to the garage to dig out the snowblower which was in the back of the storage side of the garage.  With some difficulty I got it past the car and pointed ready to attach the snow.  I checked and found it still had gasoline from when I tested it last year.  I strung an extension cord and plugged it in the snow blower socket (it has an electric start option).  I managed to find the starting instructions plate on the machine.  Going down the list, I set the throttle on high-choke as required, then depressed the choke button for step two.  Step three called for me to insert the key in the key slot.

I wondered, where did I leave the key, after I had tested it almost a year ago?  Wendy might remember, I thought.  But she is in Newport Beach with her girl-friends and would certainly still be asleep (it would be only about 7:15 am there).  So I started my search of the house, the key box, the cabinet file where the guarantee should be (it wasn’t), various kitchen and office drawers.  No sign of the key.  After 30 minutes I find it.  It was on my bedroom dresser, under receipts that had been accumulating for a year.  Someday I need to get organized.

Anyway, I was then able to start  the machine.  I did our driveway and sidewalks and also did the sidewalks around the corner to the east to Howard Peterson’s property and then to the west and up 820 east for 5 houses clear to the vacant lot past Young’s.  That part was easy and the machine handle the deep snow without a problem.

(Pictured: the snow blower in position this morning to go to work again, the foot of snow on Wendy’s flower pot on the patio and on the truck (this morning), and the top of a pine tree in Howard’s back yard with the top branches still weighed down with snow and a cute little top-knot sticking up.)