Snow Blowers!

On the top of the list of the truly great inventions in the history of mankind is the electric blanket. Just flat out unbelieveable! Sometimes I wish I could go to bed at three o'clock in the afternoon! But to be honest the snow blower ain't too far behind.

What on earth did I ever do before I owned one of these babies? I grew up here, shoveled snow all through my childhood. Even through the blizzards of the late 70's, I was out there whisking the snow away one shovel load at a time as my older brother watched out the window....(not really... good shot though. I'm the youngest can you tell). I don't remember hating that job. It had to be done and I did it. I even walked up and down the street asking if I could shovel the neighbors driveways for a nominal fee.

Then came the Southern Years. Living in Virginia, Missouri, and Florida for a grand total of 18 years there wasn't much shoveling to be done. As you may guess, I don't think I shoveled snow once while I lived and worked in Lakeland, Florida! Then in 2001 I moved back home and came to WQMX. Let the shoveling begin.

We bought a nice house with a big driveway and the fist thing I did was buy a lawnmover and snow blower in the same trip. I didn't even consider shoveling the snow.....and it hadn't even snowed yet. I don't know where it went so wrong with me and snow. I think I'd rather slam my hand in a car door than spend a winter shoveling my driveway. At least it would be quick and over with.

Instead I put on my Carhart bibs, fire up the blower and with a carefreeness rarely acheived by man or beast, I easily dispose of the snow in about 20 minutes. I get so fired up, I do the sidewalks, my neighbors sidewalks on both sides and if I'm really in the zone my neighbors driveways too. Now were up to 35 minutes. I'm not even bothered that there may be more snow on the way. As a matter of fact I'm kinda hoping there is so I can feel the auger again spinning in front of me blasting away at the once problamatic snow and sending it to the neighbors back yard. I even belt out a sinister laugh as if I'm in a Stephen King novel! I can't be stopped!

I think it's the power. A lawn mover simply grinds up the grass and mulches it back into the ground. BORING! But a snow blower?! It grabs the snow and throws it feet, yards away, wow Look at ME I can squeeze a handle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even own a multi stage snow blower just a medium sized one. Me, like all snow blower operators like to think we really know what we're doing, but we don't. We just look like we do. It truly is a tool that makes you look like you're really qualified to handle big equipment but it's really not all that hard. Just keep your hands out of the auger and your pretty much home free.

Today it snowed. And I showed it who was boss. Send over a Rolling Rock to the man who put the motor and the auger together for use in the fourth season. "Snow... now get this and get this good.....you're finished see???"