Good Neighbor
There was a snow storm this weekend. We got close to two feet of snow on the ground. While snowstorms are not unusual for Minnesota this is a lot more snow than we've had in the past few years. C and I spent a lovely day indoors as we couldn't get out of the drive way. We worked on Christmas cards and watched a movie.
I thought we should shovel the driveway, but C didn't think it would be worth it. The snow was still falling and then the wind was supposed to start blowing. I was worried about the amount of snow we'd need to clear, but C had a good point.
This morning I was up at 5:15 am thinking about starting to shovel. I knew it would be an all day task and thought to get an early start. It was still dark though and being unable to see would be a problem. Also I wasn't sure how cold it was outside. Waiting until sunrise would be warmer.
Three hours later, I was bundled up and ready to go. I surveyed the driveway and got to work. It was a lot harder than I thought. I had finished about half the area when I decided to call for reinforcements.
I picked up the land line and called C's cell phone. I knew he's be mad because he wanted to sleep. I really needed the help. Some of the drifts were as long as my leg. As expected he was a bit crabby, but agreed to get up and help me.
The two of us shovelled side by side for awhile. We got about halfway down the driveway and decided to take a break for some food. I made french toast and C tried to call a few snow removal places. No answer.
Warmed and fed we went out again. This time things went much better or at least it seemed that way to me. I could hear the neighbor's snow blower. A woman was clearing the bank the snow plow left. They were smart. They blew their driveway off yesterday. They had a snow blower.
We have a small electric snow thrower that I had when we got married. It worked well for the townhouse where we used to live. We did use it a few times, but it was broken. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Even if it had been repaired, there was too much snow for it to handle.
I heard the snow blower coming towards us. I wondered what she was doing. Probably clearing the snow from around her mailbox. The sound kept coming closer.
Finally I saw her. She was at the end of our driveway trying the push through the bank of snow left by the plow. Once in awhile she'd shovel a bit then work some more.
I was tired, cold and sore. I was so grateful to see her I almost cried. I really didn't think C and I would be able to shovel through the bank. It was big and compacted. She kept at it, working the blower and shovel . She ran out of gas and yelled to us that she'd be right back.
That made my day. I started to shovel with new strength moving forward about a foot at a time. Finally she broke through the bank and started to work on the rest of the drive. I went to another part of the driveway to widen it while she worked and then slipped inside for some cash. I handed it to C to give to her when she finished.
Meanwhile I did a little clean up shovelling and went to straighten out mailbox which had been hit by the snowplow. After she was done C gave her the money, which she tried to refuse. She introduced herself to us. We both thanked her and she went back to her house.
We did a bit more digging around the garbage cans and called it good.
When we first moved to St. Paul, I was worried. I imagined that in large cities people kept to themselves and were unfriendly. That may be true in other cities, but this is St. Paul. There are plenty of good neighbors here. Right next door.
I thought we should shovel the driveway, but C didn't think it would be worth it. The snow was still falling and then the wind was supposed to start blowing. I was worried about the amount of snow we'd need to clear, but C had a good point.
This morning I was up at 5:15 am thinking about starting to shovel. I knew it would be an all day task and thought to get an early start. It was still dark though and being unable to see would be a problem. Also I wasn't sure how cold it was outside. Waiting until sunrise would be warmer.
Three hours later, I was bundled up and ready to go. I surveyed the driveway and got to work. It was a lot harder than I thought. I had finished about half the area when I decided to call for reinforcements.
I picked up the land line and called C's cell phone. I knew he's be mad because he wanted to sleep. I really needed the help. Some of the drifts were as long as my leg. As expected he was a bit crabby, but agreed to get up and help me.
The two of us shovelled side by side for awhile. We got about halfway down the driveway and decided to take a break for some food. I made french toast and C tried to call a few snow removal places. No answer.
Warmed and fed we went out again. This time things went much better or at least it seemed that way to me. I could hear the neighbor's snow blower. A woman was clearing the bank the snow plow left. They were smart. They blew their driveway off yesterday. They had a snow blower.
We have a small electric snow thrower that I had when we got married. It worked well for the townhouse where we used to live. We did use it a few times, but it was broken. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Even if it had been repaired, there was too much snow for it to handle.
I heard the snow blower coming towards us. I wondered what she was doing. Probably clearing the snow from around her mailbox. The sound kept coming closer.
Finally I saw her. She was at the end of our driveway trying the push through the bank of snow left by the plow. Once in awhile she'd shovel a bit then work some more.
I was tired, cold and sore. I was so grateful to see her I almost cried. I really didn't think C and I would be able to shovel through the bank. It was big and compacted. She kept at it, working the blower and shovel . She ran out of gas and yelled to us that she'd be right back.
That made my day. I started to shovel with new strength moving forward about a foot at a time. Finally she broke through the bank and started to work on the rest of the drive. I went to another part of the driveway to widen it while she worked and then slipped inside for some cash. I handed it to C to give to her when she finished.
Meanwhile I did a little clean up shovelling and went to straighten out mailbox which had been hit by the snowplow. After she was done C gave her the money, which she tried to refuse. She introduced herself to us. We both thanked her and she went back to her house.
We did a bit more digging around the garbage cans and called it good.
When we first moved to St. Paul, I was worried. I imagined that in large cities people kept to themselves and were unfriendly. That may be true in other cities, but this is St. Paul. There are plenty of good neighbors here. Right next door.
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