Healing

Wow. I spent all day yesterday shoveling snow. Yes, that's 8+ hours of digging out my car, digging a new parking spot across from the cabin, moving the car to that new spot, and then digging a path from the street to the gate, down the steps and then clearing the front deck.

All during this time the snow was relentless. Then the worst of all possible circumstances occurred: it turned into the dreaded Sierra Cement. Shoveling Sierra Cement is just as it sounds: shoveling load after load of cement -- the snow has such a high water content that lifting each shovel-full is agony. It took me a full 6 hours just to clear the side deck under the metal roof. At this time each year, I could kill the asshat who decided to build my deck directly underneath the severe pitch of my roof which, naturally, sloughs off snow remarkably well. I turned the corner to find six feet of heavy snow covering the deck.

With me and my trusty Grain Hog (best snow shovel of them all), I created another 6' pile of snow on the lower property, having to move each shovel load over the railing and onto the sloping terrain below. The night came and the mercury fell. The Cement turned into blocks of ice that I had to hack away, bit by bit.

This was the worst time I have ever had clearing the deck; I've never seen the snow so heavy and agonizing to lift. I came into the house around 7 pm and every Goretex item was soaked. my feet were soaked, coat, socks, hat, everything. I tried to get warm in the bed but found myself shaking and teeth chattering. I hadn't realized how cold I'd gotten outside, as the snow had stopped and then turned to heavy, very wet sleet. I stood in a hot shower for a good half hour.

No politics today; today is recovery day: an Ibuprofen day, reading day and watching movies day. The DirecTV system is out due to the snow. I checked the weather and I'm supposed to have some varied snow flurries and rain. Good: no heavy snow.

Today I'm on a deck-shoveling moratorium.

BZ