Snow tires - I slid everywhere I went for 2 months. Time for snow tires! I had 2 put on the front of the car. I would have liked to get all 4, but the budget didn't allow it. The shop that took the old tires s off said the tread on them was very worn anyway. I am not sure if it was from the towing or just bad tires, but they won't be gong back on the car in the spring.
Snow shovels - How did I not have a snow shovel? Even in New Mexico we did get SOME snow. I found an old one with a bent corner in the shed... the previous owner must have decided it wasn't worth taking. Then I invested in two light-weight plastic ones so I could enlist the help of my strapping young boys....
Snowbrush - Yes, I had one in New Mexico. I bought a better one here. The one I had was not meant for the amount of snow I clean off the car here. On a side note... after the car doors frooze up and I wasn't able to GET to the snowbrush in the car, I now keep it in the house.
Boots - The first day I wore my snow boots out in bad weather, my feet were wet within minutes. There is nothing worse than cold, wet feet. I think I had bought these boots the last time I was in New York before we moved to New Mexico, so I am wondering why they ended up being so whimpy. They were suitable for New Mexico winters, but not for the amount of snow here. After searching high and low in Syracuse with mom, I ended up getting a pair of snowmobile boots here in Old Forge at the Ace Hardware/Old Forge Department Store. They were pricey, but they are SO worth it. My feet are now warm, dry, and happy! I only run into problems when the snow is more than knee deep... then the snow sometimes gets into the top of the boot. I do have these nifty drawstrings that tighten up the tops to try to prevent that.
Snow Blower - After a couple of months of shoveling I decided we HAD to get a snow blower. The snow kept building up in the driveway and on the path to the back door. I must have looked really pitiful shoveling one day. I had just started cleaning the snow that the plow had packed at the end of the driveway. One of my sorority sister's husbands stopped in his truck with a plow. He plowed the worst of the mess from in front of my driveway. After he left I shoveled the path back to the door and around the propane tank. I then moved my car over to the post office parking lot and started shoveling the driveway. Someone else (I have no idea who he was) pulled up with HIS truck and plow. He said couldn't stand to see me shoveling all that snow. So he plowed the end of the driveway where I park my car.
The next day I went looking for a snow blower. I lucked out and found a great deal on a used one. It had been traded in for a new one at a shop here in town. It had been sitting around for a while and the guy wanted to sell it, so he told me I could have it for $250. That was a lot lss than I expected to spend. It had been serviced... with new belts and things. The best part? I had told him I would come back when my tax refund arrived. He told me to go ahead and take it, and pay when I had the money! So I got to test drive it for a while before I paid for it. It works great!
I haven't used it much... but winter isn't over yet! I am sure I will have plenty of time to get use out of it before spring arrives.
Having FUN - When I was visiting mom, we dug out a couple of old pairs of cross country skis. One pair fit me, and one fit Skyler. We went to Play It Again Sports and got a pair for Liam. The school offered lessons after school. So the boys now know the basics of cross country skiing! I can't wait for us all to get out and ski. McCauley mountain has trails, and they groom the golf course for skiing.
The kids have sleds and have been using the drop off in the front yard between our house and the neighbors house to slide. They also have built a snow fort. Barkley loves running around in the snow in the back yard. Looking at the amount of tracks in the yard, you would think I had 5 dogs instead of one!
I am sure the novelty will wear off, but right now? We are enjoying
the winter here in Old Forge... the snowmobile capitol of the east!
.JPG)
No comments:
Post a Comment