Holed up

Out my porch-door. (The snow at right as atop a railing; visible in the rear is the opening to my dog-house.) (Photo by BobbaLew.)

A massive snowstorm blew through our area last night (Wednesday, December 26th, 2012) dumping at least 16 inches.
I am essentially snowed in; first time since my wife died. She died eight months ago in April.
I’m not too worried, although I seemed to be a while ago.
But it seemed a grief-effect.
Now that I’m snowed in, I’m not too worried.
It seems about the same as when there were two of us, a fairly massive storm, but manageable.
I have a large snowblower, and I’ll have to blow my driveway out before I can drive anywhere.
Once out, the roads look reasonable.
I happened to gas up both cars yesterday before the storm.
And I also happened to buy the groceries I’d need until Saturday, and I’d like to think I’ll be out by then.
I’ll have to shovel out doors and gates first. Everything is snowed in.
But my garage-door opens vertically. Once open I can get out to shovel.
And I don’t see any problem in what little shoveling I’d have to do. I work out at the YMCA. My only limit to shoveling is cold.
After that, the wondrous merits of the internal-combustion engine.
But again, my limit is always cold.
My driveway has always been two snowblower sessions. I get cold, and have to stop. Plus snow often blows back over me.
Plus the snow-berm at the end of my driveway thrown up by the highway plows may be unblowable.
In which case I’d call in the heavy weaponry, the guy that plows out my aging neighbor’s driveway with a 4x4 pickup.
During the early ‘90s we had a giant blizzard that piled up a 12-foot snow-berm at the end of my driveway. We shoveled that — no snowblower then — but I was younger, plus there were two of us.
Now I am alone, but I feel alone every morning, massive snowstorm or not.

• My beloved wife of over 44 years died of cancer April 17th, 2012. Like me she was 68. I miss her dearly.