A stormy Wednesday awakening

It wasn’t unexpected as the weather people told us of it yesterday, but we did awaken to light snow this morning. At least it isn’t much, so far, in my yard. As I prepare this little note, darkness still prevails so I can’t really see just what the weather is providing. We may be getting some light sleet or freezing rain mixed in here.

The weather folk tell us this is just the beginning of a series of three storms which might, note that word “might,” give us a White Christmas next week. The current storm, although “storm” is a rather harsh word for what’s happening outside in relation to, say, last week’s ice storm, should drop an inch along the coast to up to 5 inches well inland.

It looks like we’ll get a day off, at least from the wintry weather, tomorrow before yet another storm arrives Friday. Ch. 6’s Kevin Mannix said this morning it could be a little stronger than today’s, but, he warns, storm number three arriving Sunday night into Monday could be the biggest of the three and even hit Nor’easter levels.

Let me remind you, last year most of those “big” storms forecast this far in advance never really materialized. We’ll just have to wait and see what, if anything, the weekend brings.

Today we’ll be deciding how to deal with today’s accumulation. We’re told the storm should be out of the Greater Portland/Southern Maine area by late this morning or early afternoon. Depending of the depth of the snow and its wetness, I’ll decide then if my snow machine will get its first seasonal workout.

My machine doesn’t take too well with wet snow, so the water content will go a long way toward that decision. Oh how I wish I had my single stage snow blower back. Nothing, not even two inch deep water at the end of the driveway slowed that thing down. A mechanical problem did, however.

I’ve told my story to my fellow Senior Fitness, or as some have come to call it, The Breakfast Club, members. One of them bought a new snow thrower for his tractor last winter. You’d be amazed how much joy he gets of reminding me he has a single stage thrower and nothing slows him down. He lives well inland where more wintry stuff falls and he has already been out on his machine. The razzing has already begun. We don’t have breakfast there, so I don’t know how it got that nickname.

Just in case you’re wondering, as I understand it, the difference between a snow thrower and a snow blower is the way it handles the snow. The single stage thrower has a high speed auger that throws the snow great distances. My two stage blower has a slow moving auger that draws the snow into a fan type wheel that then blows the snow away. My Fearless Friend has a thrower as I, but he says the use of Pam or some other greasing element allows him the same ability as the single stage. I’ve tried it, but with less success. My experience with both types leads me to highly recommend the single stage variety.

Now after all that, I wonder if today will be the one that gives my machine its first seasonal adventure. I’m sure one of the storms, if indeed they come, will certainly get it out.

I’m heading to the hospital very early tomorrow morning so I’ll be away for at least one day. The results of the stuff tomorrow morning will determine if it’ll be more than one day.

Be careful in today’s storm; I hear on the police monitor that it’s already getting a little slick out there.

GiM