for the coming snow storm. Something I wrote. Saturday, December 22, 2012 Know your snow. Each type of snow requires a different tool. Like in life each job requires a different tool. Our first snow of the winter season was an Iowa Blizzard that arrived the evening of December 19, 2012 and hit with full force on December 20. The local news had predictions of snow 12 plus inches for the region. I could smell the snow in the air before it arrived when I spent outside. Yes you can smell snow. The air will smell crisp and feel damp on your face. I was prepared for this blizzard because I started a few weeks before making sure everything was ready to go. Here I had my arsenal was ready for moving snow. There was my new snow blower purchased last year, a curved handle snow shovel to protect my back, the farm scoop shove for cutting drifts, a heavy straight steel shove for scraping the ice and snow, the push broom to clean off the car, the bristle broom for cleaning the steps, rock salt and sand mix, heavy boots for deep snow, light boots for lesser snow, long underwear, three pairs of gloves, and my heavy ice chipper. With the right tools I was ready to tackle the problem of snow. I thought though how to attack cleaning the drive way. A plan is needed to be the most efficient when moving snow. This will save your energy and your back because this is important for snow removal. I had been shoveling snow for 40 years. I have been around enough snow to understand the different types of snow. Snow can be dry and powdery this makes it easy to blow. Snow can be wet and heavy which is hard to use the snow blower or shovel. When snow is fluffy light then all you need is a broom to handle it. I have seen snow be a squeaky like styrene foam but this only happens when the tempter falls below zero. Each form of snow needs its own tool to move and method to remove it. The push broom is used when the snow is light fluffy snow with big flakes. It is just a dusting of snow just enough to look it a powder sugar over the driveway and cars. Snow that is one to two inch I use a combo of the bent handle shovel and the heavy steel shovel. My wife Janice will yell out the door at me saying “How come you are not using the snow blower?” I reply back “It not the right amount snow for the snow blower. I can do it faster this way.” Over two inches is the time for the snow blower I use the electric start snow blower. No pull start for me. Who needs a heart attack trying to start a snow blower at 5:00 am when the temp is ten degrees outside? I thank God for Arthur Sicard the man who invented the snow blower every time I use it. The snow blower does not get all the snow so I still need the use the shovels and brooms for cleanup. I love hearing the scrapping of steel against cement when I shovel because I know it is clean. The time when you start shoveling snow is just as important to which type of shovel you use. It all depends when the snow arrives and the type snow we get. If the snow is a small dusting overnight I get up at 5:00 am to start to clean the driveway. I want to remove the snow before any cars driven over the driveway. When the car drives on the snow it will compresses the snow to a hard pack and ice forms. This makes it hard to remove the snow to the bare cement because the shovel will slide over the hard pack snow. I take ice chipper or the straight steel shovel to whack at the hard tire packed tracks to remove them. Heavy snow five inches or more is when I start using the snow blower. I understand the snow is fall at such a rate it will cover the driveway again but it is worth it to avoid an ice film forming on the driveways and sidewalks. This past storm I was out clearing the drive three times when it was snowing. By working on it during the snow it made my job easier later on when the snow was finished. I will start cleaning the driveway at any time. Is not a good rule to wait till the snow finishes because you are just creating more work for yourself. I will shovel before I go to bed sometimes or get up at 4:30 am to start. By working on the snow right away it not has gotten a chance to pack tight and ice over. I have found removing the snow much easier the quicker you tackle the problem. You have to know where you going to throw the snow when snow blowing. Try creating a route where you not blowing the same snow twice. I like to start in the middle of the driveway working in a circle working towards the outer edge of the driveway. This works pretty well it the wind is light. Sometimes if it’s a blowing wind you may get a face full of snow. Before you tackle the path think about how and where the snow will go. When I am done using the snow blower I always sweep it off so it ready to go next time. Now that the sidewalks and driveways are clean down to the cement you think you are done. No because you have to wait for the plows to come by. The plow will leave a mound of ice chunks and snow to cover driveway entrance. That snow have to be cleared by hand because it compacted and heavy. If you try to clear it with you snow blower you could bust a blade on the ice chunks. You need clear quickly for it hardens like a rock. I use my farm scoop shovel to cut it up and my bent handle to save my back. The job is a tough job but has to be done. You are never really done when it comes to shoveling snow. I will continually keep working on the sidewalks and drive ways for several days later just to clean it down to the bare cement. I take pride of having a clean driveway and I know my job will be easier next time it snows. As I said you have to know your snow to know what tool to use. Knowing your snow can also be applied to knowing your problem. If you understand your problem then you know what tool to use to solve it. You cannot clear a driveway with a push broom with a foot of snow. You need the right tool to remove it like a snow blower. Even if you have the right tool you need to look at the route you are going to use the tool. It does not good to just throw the snow here or there. Think the problem though before you start. Have a plan of attack. Waiting for the problem does not make the job easier. Like the snow if you start on the problem in little bites it may make it easier to handle. Then there is the plow problem meaning sometimes you just have to get in there and just work at it. Once it all done you can look back with pride on what you have complished.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 19:13:30 +0000
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