Gratitude for Shoveling Snow
If you have not noticed yet, I have really been mixing up the Gratitude Blog postings lately as I focus on a particular theme. Have you liked that? The posts have been a little bit longer than I have created in the past, and I realized that I have not posted a video in quite some time. These are the things that I think of while I was shoveling snow this afternoon!
Here in Central NJ, we received enough snow that the local schools in my town started off with a 2-hour delay before finally closing completely. I think we got about 3-4 inches or so – it was not as bad as it has been recently! I worked from home instead of getting on the road and at lunch time I went out shoveled.
As I said, we did not get so much snow that I had to shovel the roof, but what a funny video! I express my gratitude for the fact that it appears no one got hurt!
Be Well.
Paul.
The Gratitude Guru
Paul: Some wisdom learned from experience from the deep snow country of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. “NEVER SHOVEL A ROOF FROM BELOW THE SNOW LOAD ATOP THE ROOF”
Your video confirms this axiom, but a more poignant and tragic example exemplifies it better:
Two old timers, who had shoveled their cabin roof many-a-time, proceed to do so again with about four feet of snow up top. They didn’t return home that night. Next day, searchers discovered that the roof had slid. They located the two shovelers at opposite corners of the building under 3-4 feet of heavy wet snow. They had approached the job with caution and know-how, but a quick release, like the one in your video, encased them in concrete-like snow before they coule take a single step.
Snow sliding off a roof is, in truth, a mini- avalanche. It gives no warning and happens instantaneously, releasing treme
ndous force.
Safest bet: hire a professional to do the job. Otherwise, work it from the side or from above. But be prepared to take a ride at any second and pre-program your mind to jump beyond the deposit area as you leave the eave of the roof. It happens frequently in this country and even the “pros” get dumped on occasion.
Dean Cox
Pagosa Springs, Colo.
Wow, Dean! Thanks for that info! While I did understand the consequences, I never realized how badly it actually could be! As I wrote, I am glad that all ended well and your comments have opened my eyes. Here in Central NJ, I have NEVER had to clear my roof (and fortunately we have a nice steep one).
Again, thanks for enlightening me. Be Well.
Hi–shoveling snow !!!!!!!!!!!! I love it — I just love a tremendous snow fall – the more the better – I love it – I love to shovel it – lift it – push it – pull it – plow it with my plow shovel – handmade – my driveway a football field – I love it and actually will go home from florida or arkansas to be there for the event( snow storm )– I hate the afterglow !!!!!!!! just hate it – the cold is tolerable when it is falling BUT afterward – arrrggghhhhh – lololol- I mean it and I don’t care what yu’ll think about that – I care what you think of me – but not how I feel about a snowstorm – Iwas born raised and went to college ( 8 years ) in Maine – I will only go back when it is warm AND DRY — but I do love a snowstorm = I will suck up every bit of the life it gives for as long as I can – thnakas for listening – best John Marine #70 — if anyone recognizes that name please get ba
ck to me at [email protected]
heck–I am still at it- can’t stop===wow–thanks for being patient- remember the “hippie” transcendentalist saying – ” to be or not to be- that is the question”?–I was 64 years old before I understood what that meant- darn – 64 years to figure that out!!!!!- I can’t look back on everything I did not understand – I can’t doit–sometimes I do and it hurts at what I did not know when I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT- oh well- the Amish people have a saying – ” too soon old = too late smart ” lolololol ouch !!!! any feed back from people who knew ? thanks – and me? I went to law school undergrad masters doctorate – and I DID NOT KNOW !!!!!!!!!!!!! DARN IT ALL – if I had known I would have had such a great time w/o the pain !!!! (*&^%^%$##@ – danmn — how aout the messed up love life – I did marry the right woman = BUT = we did struglle with eachc other and issues — damn agin – dman –
anyony body have the same troulbles? – boy – I told my old High schcool foootball coach I cannot forgive him for not telling me how hard it was going to be – I justcan’t and I will not – if he had told me it would have been so much easier – thnaks for listening – it helps – ME — a lot
I wish we had some snow here to shovel! We have barely gotten anything all winter. Thanks for commenting on my blog!
Honestly, I’m grateful for being able to move to a California climate that doesn’t have snow.
Your video took me back to February, 1979, when I moved from Illinois to California. Just days before I was to board a plane to start my new job in California, we had a heavy snowfall. I witnessed the collapse of one roof in the neighborhood and heard reports of others.
Less than two days before I boarded the plane, never to return to the house we just signed a contract to sell, I was on a ladder with rake in hand. I managed to pull off snow that had piled up pretty high on the eaves, gutters and a little higher on the roof without damage to myself or the house.
I am truly grateful I was able to leave the house in an undamaged condition so my family and I could move to a more temparate climate.
Thanks for the video. It was fun.