Crystal Musings

I woke up Friday to snow...it wasn't supposed to start until the next day...and yet , there it was . It is no surprise to those who know me that I am no fan of winter...in the paraphrased words of Henny Youngman , " Take my snow...please ! ". There is one kind of snow I do like (besides what's pictured on a postcard ! ) ...the soft crystals that float down on a windless day . There is a breathless calm...a blessed peace on such days that nourishes and heals . All normal activity is suspended...stress replaced with wonder...amazing...
The day after brings reality back . Two feet of the stuff covers everything , with drifts at least double that in special spots...like on my car . I am one of those people teased by comedians , who have worthless stuff in the garage and their car in the driveway ! Oh , the folly !
Being of a certain age and somewhat of a realist , the shoveling required preparation...a light breakfast (protein shake , vitamins and an aspirin...just in case...) , warm layers of clothing and a Stanley back support , good boots and waterproof gloves . All the weapons of snow removal were duly assembled and the job began . What began as a positive effort ended up as an exercise in futility ! The first stint of two hours made decent headway . The advised break was wisely taken , with food and rest . The second "lap" seemed to be of much shorter duration , with less accomplished , while the snow sparkled charmingly...hmmm...
A call was made to check on a dear friend , who told me ( with love ) that people of a certain age who normally did no upper-body work and then proceeded to shovel snow , were prime candidates for a heart attack ! She was in no mood to lose a friend and I'd better stop ! Reality stinks !
The rest of that day and the next were ones of being on the inside...looking out . The road had been plowed on Sunday to one car's width...just wide enough for those hardy souls with shovels and snowblowers to descend upon the neighborhood with determination...and avarice . Last year's going rate for a simple driveway clearing was $30 . Unemployment and the depth of snow had raised it to $60 . For most of us , the choice was to brave the chore ourselves or wait for the sun to do the deed ! My , those images of the Caribbean are compelling...she says wistfully...