The storm caught us full force last night. I’ve no idea how much snow we got, because it came sideways with 35 – 45 mph gusts. Drifts. We have drifts. Lots and lots of them. Deep drifts.
I waded out to feed the wood stove and livestock about 7:00 this morning. Had to shovel snow away from the wood pile so I could find the logs. Negotiated a waist-high drift in front of the barn. (Nearly lost poor Murphy, all I could see was the top of his head!) After the animals were fed and watered, I dug out the front steps where the top of the drift was almost even with my shoulders.
Got back in the house and out of my coveralls when Josh came to plow out the drive. Less than five minutes after he arrived, I heard that sound you never want to hear when someone is plowing out your drive. Stuck. Buried. Ice under the tires. *sigh*
Back into the cover alls and out with a shovel. We tried to dig him free. That didn’t work. I got the tractor out (which took about 20 minutes, had to get through those waist-high drifts to where his truck was stuck). Tried pushing his plow front with the bucket of the tractor. Nothing doing.
Looking down the driveway.
Watching us from the road, was a line of at seven trucks, five with plows on them, waiting in the middle of Nicholson Hill Road because some mental midget in a CAR was stuck a few feet west of our driveway. Way to go, buddy. They finally broke free when a county V-plow truck showed up and pushed the car out of the way. And then they all drove on by. Not a one offered to help. Some people’s children.
I negotiated around the drifts, digging through where I needed, and worked the tractor to the front of Josh’s stuck truck. Tried pulling him out with a chain. Nope. Didn’t budge.
He asked me if my truck is 4-wheel drive. Yes. But I asked him if we were going to get them both stuck trying that. He shrugged. Why not? With him in my truck and me doing my best to keep his plow truck running and steer it (don’t laugh – it’s an old plow truck), he finally jerked his truck free.
The tunnel I dug with the tractor to get it out of the barn.
All that took just under an hour. By the time I’d peeled off my coveralls, hat, both pairs of gloves, and shucked my boots, I had to sweep a dustpan full of snow off my floor. Then it was into a hot shower.
The drive? Yeah. It’s still not plowed out. Josh is coming back later. He had to go help his buddy … who had BOTH of his trucks stuck. Good thing Josh didn’t mention that before he suggested using mine!
At least the temps weren’t too bad, in the mid-20s, so we didn’t freeze. But I do believe that the rest of my day – until evening chores – will be spent pursuing indoor activities.
Pegg Thomas lives in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. She creates American stories with real history and fictional characters inspired by her ancestors who immigrated here in the mid-1600s.
Pegg won the 2019 FHL Readers’ Choice Award for novellas, was a double-finalist for the 2019 ACFW Carol Award for novellas, and a finalist for the 2019 ACFW Editor of the Year. She was a finalist in the 2021 FHL Readers’ Choice Award for novellas. Pegg won the 2022 Selah Award for historical romance and placed 2nd with her second entry. She was also a finalist for the 2023 Selah Award and placed 2nd for the 2024 Selah Award. Pegg spent 3 ½ years as the managing editor of Smitten Historical Romance.
When not writing or editing, Pegg can be found in her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at one of her spinning wheels creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.
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7 thoughts on “A Little Morning Adventure in the Snow”
Glad you are safe and warm. Love the snow pictures and feeling a little envious since all we got was rain. 😦
That was a little tricky! I wasn’t brave enough to do the pulling with my truck. So I had to keep my foot on the gas of his truck (because it kept stalling out) while trying to keep the wheels straight while he popped the back end with the chain. I’m *much* more comfortable pushing or pulling with the tractor than with a truck!
Pegg Thomas 
Glad you are safe and warm. Love the snow pictures and feeling a little envious since all we got was rain. 😦
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Glad you didn’t get the tornadoes! Those weren’t too far south of you, were they?
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Snowmageddon. But it does sound like you and Murphy had a blast!!
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Yeah, actually, we did!
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Oh, my. I’m impressed–especially with you driving the plow. Very cool.
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That was a little tricky! I wasn’t brave enough to do the pulling with my truck. So I had to keep my foot on the gas of his truck (because it kept stalling out) while trying to keep the wheels straight while he popped the back end with the chain. I’m *much* more comfortable pushing or pulling with the tractor than with a truck!
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My favorite part in this story is the hot shower 🙂 Be careful out there, Pegg!
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