Snow Day

This morning, it is snowing. For the people in the Capitol City area, that would be a devastating event since they are still getting around though paths rather than road (I hear that from the weather folk). In Wellsboro, we have not had snow many times this winter. When we did, it was almost like Colorado snow – falls, melts, grass peeks through. Almost like Colorado except for the continued cold temperatures. This morning, I shoveled for two reasons – the first, the dream group comes and they know I am expecting them when I have cleared the sidewalk.

The second reason I shoveled is that I have a sidewalk - of sorts. It was poured some years ago, has heaved from the trees that used to adorn my front yard, and has parts that are disintegrating even as I try to spell and wordprocess simultaneously (what did we do before red lines under words?). At any rate, Wellsboro Borough has a law: Shovel all sidewalks within three hours of a snow. Therefore, I get my shovel and do it. As I look up my street, I see that my house is the only one to have a sidewalk. The house is two-story with a great front porch. Over one hundred years old and may have been the first house on the street. Perhaps sidewalks were in keeping with the dignity to which the neighborhood aspired. Perhaps the law went on the books before other houses were constructed and the builders said: "no sidewalks." In Columbus Ohio, the neighborhood my sister-in-law lives in decided not to have sidewalks. At any rate, I shovel each time the snow flies, remembering to throw the snow away from the house, I trick I learned in Maine where large snowfalls were the rule. I don’t think this effort counts as exercise. Too bad.

From the rate of snow falling, I will be shoveling several times today.

Oh, I neglected to mention that I throw the worst salt I can get on the sidewalks, hoping they will crumble and next year, I will be sitting by the fire during snowstorms.