I have to admit, I just love shoveling snow! It’s peaceful, it’s an excellent workout, and you can really get creative with it.
I like creating cool little meandering pathways. And it doesn’t take much – I use a $10 shovel from Aubuchon Hardware.
On the property we have two decks and a 25 yard long path that goes all the way from the front Two-Bedroom Cottage to the front door of the Studio Cottage. After many years I’ve finally gotten shoveling down to an art and can usually do all of it in ten or fifteen minutes.
One winter we got four feet of snow in one day! We opened the front door and the snow had come all the way up to the door handle. We couldn’t get out! It took about 45 minutes to shovel one small pathway down to the street. Here’s a photo, and check out this fun 20 second youtube video from that day.
The driveway is almost hundred yards long and we plow that part of it.
Shoveling snow also brings me back to my childhood in Cleveland, when I used to get out in the yard and shovel with my brother and father. When you live in a winter climate you have to be conscious of your roofs! It’s best to pull the snow off when it gets to be a foot. We use a special roof rake for that job. It’s pretty fun watching it all fall off and it makes a very loud thud!
And one of the best parts of shoveling is being able to appreciate the snow even more after moving around in it and breathing that fresh mountain air. This task is and always will be one of my favorite parts of the winter months.
