The Elysian Fields

We got 2-3", I plowed, we got 2-3" more, plowed again; got back from the client sites after dark, so I just did one pass up the driveway to clear off the inch or so of ice and frozen rain. Finished it off today. Fun! =)



( A few more under the cut... )

See icon.

Yep, I hooked up the plow, turned the truck around to prep it for a straight shot down the driveway, and, if anything, the snowfall increased.

We will have plowing today!

And, if the weather folks are right ~ which they're not, by the way: this light fluffy powder we're getting is not a 100% chance of ice pellets ~ then this will last for three days. And then another storm Wednesday.

Already there's about an inch or so... and they're now calling for 8-12 inches by tomorrow morning...

The scene looks much better than it does in this picture from last week:



=)

The rain that's falling is doing so rather slowly, despite the winds whipping around at there...

There was even some visible accumulation on Mr. B's sandbox lid, but that slushified after a moment or two.

This afternoon, I'll be recycling the oil slurped out of the DR, and then I can slurp out the hydraulic oil from the plow, refill it... and I need to pick up some grease so I can take care of the fittings on it... and I still need to finish figuring out how to get that beacon wired and installed*... and likewise the reverse/work lights... and I also need to replace the snowblower chain that broke last year...




Yeah, I'm one of those people hoping for lots of snow...

* I have the one fitting I needed; it's a lot narrower inside than I had hoped - very thick wall is good for stability, not so good for squeezing a connector in there like I had planned; need a smallish junction box that I can stick out there at the end of the pipe, which changes the bracketing needs completely. Very glad I didn't custom order a pair already - although my estimated sizes were accurate, so that aspect of it would have worked.

Now I'll have to see about getting the company I own to hire me... =)

I'll have to go up before the entire board for the interview process... that'll be rough. I know so much about me already, I'm really not sure what kind of questions I should ask myself...

Big step. Many appointments coming up. Need to get everything ready to go because it's showtime...

In other news, I'll be giving my car some much needed R&R on Monday. Put winter wipers on. Leave it at the garage until it has good oil and working turn signals. 60-70 miles a day, five days a week for five years is enough to wear out any piece of machinery. Maybe even get the check engine light fixed, for once.

This weekend, much to do. It looks like a good chance for plowing tomorrow morning. Have to assemble the wheelbarrow. Put the brush blades on the heavy trimmer and the split-boom trimmer. Need to assemble the new spreader, give it a quick trial run in the snow and see how it does. The old one - maybe 20-30 years old? - is too fragile now, and it would slip way too much. Also, it's a drop spreader, and much lower to the ground than this one. The new one has big ol' pneumatic tires instead of solid plastic ones. Both those will factor into how good it runs on snow in general and in this meadow in particular.

To continue this fragmented style of post, I installed the Slushbusters. Had to warm the truck up for a while - the adhesive likes to be above 40 degrees when first installed. So I sat around, listening to tunes and waited. The supplemental heater really, umm, heats things up, so it wasn't that long until I could pop on all the lights, squeegee the window dry, and install the strips. Gave it a few test runs and I think they'll work. We'll see if it's still snowing tomorrow morning!

When I got back from plowing out the nature center, it looked like we have almost as much snow in my driveway as we did this morning! More plowing! Coolness!

For the most part, plowing at the nature center went well.

Made it up the hill, did the parking lot, stacking snow 4-6' high (there's a natural hill there, so it isn't *all* snow... maybe just 4' of it...) Made a pass down the hill with the plow in a V. Made it back up, and cleared stage left, angling to the left. Attempted to get back up to take care of stage right. Made it half way. Started going sideways. Started going backwards. In drive. In 4 wheel low. In first gear. Yoikes.

Backed it up, mostly under control, and, after trying several spots, finally got purchase and made progress back to where I had stopped, about 3/4 of the way up. This is when we really had the backwards-going-forwards thing down and it got scary. Need chains. Backed up to a cross street, turned, and went down.

Took care of the flat street with a V pass, then out stage left, and back in stage left to get both sides. Cleared the small parking area, did a stage right coming out, then cleared the intersection at the hill and finally cleared the intersection of the private gravel roads with the township road. It curves there, so the town plow guys leave a big island.

Fun, although Rachel didn't seem all that impressed (even when we were sliding down backwards! =)

While parts of the country are getting hammered - 20" at a shot - this is only the second real, measurable snow since January 1st. That first time was barely enough to plow, this was a bit more but still just the minor league.

Justin and I went out last night and plowed the nature center. Had a chance to speak to one of the residents (a number of homes are off of the two LGNC-owned dirt roads) who usually plows, and he was surprised that the LGNC was having someone plow, but happy for any help I could give. Eases their burden - although it seems the two guys who plow both live off the same flat road, not off the hill that leads up to the parking lot. That latter part is my big focus.

Anyway, discoveries last night: If someone was to read my fortune, they'd very likely find that Everblades are likely to be in my future. The stuff clung to the wiper blades, and we had to stop several times to scrape the blades clear so we could see. Not like the tunnel-effect of the snow wasn't enough to reduce visibility to maybe two feet in front of the plow. Additional lights for the front might also be in order - now I know why the HID lights are $3000. Probably worth it. I suppose I'll go for two additional lights instead of replacing the plow lights. The work lights also need to go up ASAP, because backing up was almost blind, which is not Of The Good.

Today, Justin started the vehicles and then headed to class. I cleared them, which was easy on account of the rain, and annoying on account of the rain - soaking my jacket so much that it puddled when I set my arm on the center console! I backed the truck down, then took the two cars (or car and small SUV, really) down. One pass up the driveway with the V, and then angled to the right to clear the right most edge, and two passes as a scoop to clear the rest. Went much faster than the first time, of course.

Went back to the nature center and cleared the lot again, as well as one V pass down the hill. I could have skimmed the top off the stuff on the flat road, but it was fairly clear, and the weight of the ice brought some evergreens very low. I didn't want them to catch in the ladder rack and break or tangle. Some of them were so low, they'd catch in the grill...

So that's that. Even remembered to stop and get milk on the way home. After circling once. =)

Justin and I are preparing for our annual pilgrimage along the Forest, through Fairyland, and Beyond and Back Again!

Yep, it's almost time to go pick up the New Year Chinese feast (as opposed to the Chinese New Year feast, which we don't often celebrate, but we probably should...)

As for the updatia bit, we got a ton of snow (or 5", which ever comes first), and me without my plow. Snow forecasted for tomorrow, too. Plow forecasted for Wednesday, and sunny after that...

Brandon took his first solo sled ride - the soft yet heavy stuff slowed him to a sedate pace. Very entertaining to watch him sitting still so long... all the way down the front lawn. He sat upright and serious and, although I only saw him from the back, I'm almost positive he didn't even blink for the entire ride.

Rachel built a real, live, actual snowman - one of the life-sized guys - with some assistance from Mr. B. Deb took some shots, and I got to see them, but most others won't because she never posts anything. =(

Justin and I cleared the driveway - he cleared the walk and around the cars (and the cars themselves) and I took care of the rest, using the DR with the plow. It did a great job, pushing glaciers in front of it. Snowblowers around me were choking on the stuff, so it's probably a good thing the chain had snapped a few weeks back and I didn't even attempt it. First time I used the plow on snow (used it on the gravel to get that in place Autumn 2006) and I liked it. Took longer than the Boss will when it's on the truck, of course, but nice nonetheless.

Anywho, off I go... time to get dinner!