Heavy Snows

When I was young, my family lived about half way between Normalville and Indian Head Pennsylvania along Route 711. It’s a heavily traveled roadway, with only rural secondary roads available if you chose not use it. When the snow fell heavily and the road became covered, we’d all gather on the sofa in from of the picture window and watch as the vehicles climbed the hill. Some made it while others had to back down.

When I lived outside of Normalville, I enjoyed shoveling in the dark to clear the driveway. With children in the house I always felt it necessary to be able to go if there was an emergency. Beneath the streetlamp, I could see and hear the snow falling around me as I removed each shovelful.

After I moved to White, Pennsylvania, a neighbor Mr. Wayne Mowery would plow out several drives. I was blessed to be a recipient. Light snows I handled with no problem, but with the heavier drifting snow I was sure to hear Wayne fire up his gray Ford tractor and the snow would be pushed aside. Since he passed away, someone in the Brown family would usually use their excavator to open my driveway when snow was deep and drifting. There were times that the snow had to be scooped and pushed farther into my yard to gain room.

I was surprised with this recent snow. I knew it was coming. That wasn’t the surprise. Apparently during the storm Wednesday, UPS delivered a package. I didn’t hear them and because of the storm, I didn’t venture outside. Shoveling the snow from my front porch, I dug into a box that had been placed there and was covered in about six inches of snow. It was mail order fruit from friends in New Mexico. The box was soggy, but the fruit wasn’t frozen.

Thursday morning, I fired up my snow blower in an attempt to eliminate the ten inches of white from my drive. I made one swath from my basement to the road and quit. The blower’s chute clogged with the heavy snow and had to be cleared eighteen times. It tired me out. I’m not a young buck anymore. I tried shoveling for a bit, but the heavy snow caused me to head indoors for a break.

Later I returned to the task. I was hauling away the piles of snow deposited by the snowplows, when my neighbor’s daughter stopped to talk. She said, “I just called home and told my boys to get dressed and help you.” A few minutes later, I had two young men helping me. They refused payment, but I was thankful for the blessing.