You're Welcome

The good folks of the Fox Valley and Northeast Wisconsin won't have to worry about any early season major snowfalls this winter. I don't have any special meteorological insight--and it has nothing to do with "global warming". I know there won't be any major early snowstorms this year because I have a snowthrower that actually works.

You may recall the mild winters we had in the early part of the decade. Well, during that time I was a renter--not responsible for snow removal--so it really didn't matter how much it snowed, or how often it snowed. But, two years ago my wife and I bought a house--meaning it was now my job to clear the driveway and the sidewalk. At the time of the purchase, I scoffed at my wife's suggestion that we buy a snowblower. I told her the driveway was short enough that it wouldn't be worth the cost--and besides, we haven't had a bad winter in years thanks to "global warming".

Of course, we had a major storm the weekend before Thanksgiving that year--with that kind of wet, heavy snow that just busts your back trying to shovel it. We had to have the neighbors come in with their snowthrowers just to get out of our driveway. That storm was followed by several more feet of snow--all before the holidays. Once it became phyically impossible to throw the snow over the piles along the driveway by hand, I broke down and admitted we needed a snowblower. After making that purchase, I used it just three more times the rest of the winter--when I could have used it about ten times before buying it.

So then comes last winter. I figured I was set, because I had the snowthrower in the garage--warding off big storms like it had done the year before. But, I had made a fatal mistake--I hadn't made sure it would run. Again we got a big early snowfall before Thanksgiving--and I couldn't get the darn thing to start. The same thing happened storm after storm in November and December as we set record snowfall totals for those months. Finally, I got a repair man out there (twice) to finally get the thing running again around the holidays. Just like the year before, I only needed to use it a handful of times after that.

That is why I spent all afternoon yesterday making sure the 'thrower runs, the auger turns and that all the important parts are lubricated. And that is why I am so sure that there will be no major storms early this year--if there will be any at all--just because I'm ready for them...for a change.

You're welcome.