4.3F Overnight (Post #242) 2/2/2011

35mph winds and white-out conditions

We were blessed with another blizzard the past two days. The arctic air mass settled on our fine land and with it brought temperatures which make you wonder about the logic of 20w50 oil in your crankcase. The overnight low was 4.3F and at 10:00am the temperature on my porch was 5.9F.

I was granted a second snow day by the powers of our autonomous collective. And with that second slack day, I decided to sleep in as my lovely wife Mrs. Okierover decided to go to work. Ten feet out of the garage she high centered the Honda CRV. She came in to wake me and inform me that my morning work out would consist of snow shoveling. RovErica‘s Taurus and Diet Mountain Drew’s Scion xB are not going anywhere today and probably tomorrow. The drifts are just too high. With a little luck we’ll have above freezing temperatures to melt away the snow this weekend.

As you can see, our house and driveway face North and the wind blows the snow into drifts that form a lovely wall right at the bottom of our driveway. From what I saw Mrs. Okierover did not attack the drift with any velocity. Unfortunately she in her efforts blocked the Range Rover in. In order to get her to work I had to get her out first.

My neighbors begin to dig out

An hour of snow shoveling and some strategic driving with the Range Rover allowed me to carve ruts that will allow her to get out. I fully expect a call tomorrow morning while I am at work, telling me she is stuck again.

On the way home from taking her to work I stopped to help an elderly man who had gotten his C class Mercedes stuck in a drift. Why he drove directly into the drift instead of around is a mystery. The man was also transporting his dog, in a cage, to some unknown location. It was difficult to convince him to allow me to drive him to his house instead of him walking. It was also impossible to pull him out. The entire under side of the Mercedes was covered in plastic. I couldn’t find a tow hook on either end of the car.

I gave him a ride home with his little dog. He had a pickup truck there in the driveway and he, I’m sure, took that little dog somewhere. I have a few more posts to finish you can catch them later this week.

Happy shoveling Rovering and stay warm and thanks for reading.