Treacherous winter activities

The snow is coming to the valley in greater amounts now; falling across the valley in blankets of white, turning trees and bushes into works of art. It also brings out the adventurer in some of us.

It’s one of the most treacherous activities in winter. I’m not talking about skiing down black diamonds or driving on icy roads-I’m talking about that most mundane of activity-snow shoveling.

Over my past 63 years on this earth, I don’t think I’ve lived anywhere where it didn’t snow. Being born in Northern California in the Sacramento Valley, there weren’t any flakes falling, but just a few miles away in the mountains there was plenty to play in.

I have pictures of deep piles of snow during our first winter in Oregon which my dad was moving using a regular shovel. Not an easy feat.

Tennessee, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Illinois all seemed to be set on proving to this west coast girl that they could offer up winters like I’d never seen.

Life teaches us lessons if we pay attention and I’ve learned many from living with atmospheric water vapor that freezes into ice crystals and falls from the sky.

Lesson one: don’t wear sneakers when shoveling snow. Often as not, between the snow and the sidewalk, there’s a hidden layer of ice just waiting for your summer shoes to touch it. You really don’t want to entertain the entire neighborhood with your acrobatics, do you?

Lesson two: don’t run! You would think that this lesson would have been learned at an early age, but horsing around is something we just can’t resist. Throwing snowballs and running backwards will ultimately result in an unfortunate slide and a sore rear. Hilarious for onlookers, but no so much when you have a flattened tailbone. If you have to run, wear appropriate gear.

Lesson three: throw the snow away from yourself. Whether a strong wind or just being in a rush to get it done, a face full of snow is embarrassing and it hurts.

Lesson four: we are all inclined to knock the snow off the eaves and overhangs but accidentally triggering an avalanche of snow from the roof could carry you to the ground with it where, hopefully, you land in fresh snow to buffer the landing.

Lesson five: don’t take shortcuts. Who hasn’t done this? It seems reasonable, instead of painstakingly removing the snow shovel by shovel full, why not get it all in one fell swoop? Getting all the snow out of the way by running down the sidewalk or driveway seems to work great until you reach that one solid chunk of ice that fell off the car and is now cemented to the ground and buried out of site or that irregular piece of sidewalk. Next thing you know, you are doubled over the shovel handle, practically impaled.

Sometimes the gods of snow shoveling smile on you, keeping you upright on the ice–steady and smooth. The packed snow breaks beneath your shovel as if you were King Arthur removing Excalibur from a stone. But, it doesn’t always work out for you.

Take the necessary precautions and take care of yourself. Better yet, find a young’un in your neighborhood that wants to make a few dollars and hire them to shovel the snow or find a professional with a plow and sit inside sipping hot cocoa watching out the window. Either way, it isn’t going away any time soon, so take it easy and enjoy a slower pace.