First Major Snow of the Season

By Mark J. Donovan

Today we had the first major snow of the season here in southern New Hampshire. We got about 7 inches of heavy wet snow. Fortunately I had prepared the snow blower last week. I checked the oil, cleaned the spark plug and filled the tank.

Due to the weight of the snow I made two passes with the snow blower, once earlier today, and then one final pass after the snow had stopped. I also used the roof rake to take the snow off the roof eaves. The snow was extremely slushy and wet. By taking the snow off the roof eaves I should be able to avoid what would have been the inevitable ice dams. I was particularly concerned with the roof over my garage / bonus room. The roof shingles are in rough shape and I had hoped to have them replaced by now. Unfortunately the roofing contractor that I had lined up 8 weeks ago has been dragging his feet on getting onto the jobsite. Now there is a thick blanket of snow on the roof that probably won’t be melting anytime soon. It will most likely be spring when he arrives on the scene.

After raking the snow off the roof eaves, my son, wife and I shoveled the decks and walkways. Did I tell you already that the snow was heavy :) ? The trick with heavy wet snow is to go slow and steady and take breaks when you need to. Rushing this type of work is what causes many of a folk to drop dead of a heart attack.

In the process of shoveling the snow, I had to run inside to get another pair of gloves. In the process of removing my boots I literally ripped the upper portion away from the bottom part of one of my boots. The boots were supposedly a high quality boot. So much for that. I guess I will be asking for some new boots for Christmas.

With the snow shoveling and blowing complete, its’ now time to focus on the website (HomeAdditionPlus.com) and answer some of today’s questions.