Thank Heaven For Andy...

 

We purchased this property in the fall of 2016, and moved in the spring of 2017.  We brought our yard tractor from Florida, and then purchased a second larger tractor with a bucket and mower attachments once we got here. Most of the time, they serve us well, but in the winter, no one moves snow like Andy.

Every snow day, he gets out his truck with a snow plow attachment. He takes the first pass of his drive as he heads to our neighbor, Mary Jane's down near the south end of our road. She's the first drive he clears. Then he heads back north and clears Connie and her husband's drive. Once he finished there, he comes to our place, which is where his in-laws used to live. Thankfully, we're still on his route. He moves all the snow that accumulates on our drive, and when I'm here alone, he will frequently shovel the walk and garage approach, or help me to do it. After he leaves here, he finished his drive on the way home, before he puts his truck away until the next time.

This last big storm, we got a whopping twelve inches of snow in a twenty four hour period, with more that came in the following twenty four hours. Then the winds came up and moved all the snow into drifts across our drive and yard. In some places, it was thigh-high on me. Even though we had shoveled our walk so the dogs could air out when they needed to, there was absolutely no way Handsome and I would ever be able to move all that snow in one day, let alone a few hours. Andy to the rescue. Rather than bring his plow truck this time, he'd planned ahead, attaching a huge snow blower to his big tractor. Seeing him come down his driveway got me all teary-eyed.

 

 

He traveled his usual route, and then started blowing as he came up our driveway. The bad thing about a snow like this was that our ground wasn't fully frozen, so there were iced areas under the snow, where his wheels just turned with no traction against the snowbanks. He got frustrated that he "couldn't do a better job", but we were beyond grateful that he accomplished all he did.

At one point, as the guys were talking in this picture, I opened the front door and called out to Andy to tell him how much we appreciated his help. He responded with his usual, humble "No problem", but I said thanks again, and told him (with a choked, emotion-filled voice) that it meant the world to us. I went back inside before he saw me in tears. It really did mean the world to me.

When Handsome came in for a bit, he asked me if I was starting to cry when I said thanks to Andy. I said I had. I also told him how grateful I was that he was home instead of in Florida. I told him being snowed in for multiple cloudy days was bearable because I was with him. Alone would have been too lonely for me. I guess I just didn't realize how much it meant to me that he wasn't in another state until just then. 

I told him that when he goes, I just put on my big girl panties and do what needs to be done. I didn't come from "whiner stock", and I consider myself a strong, strong-willed woman. I do it so he can do what he loves...making music. I wanted him to know, though, just how much I appreciate the strong, protective men in my life, and in this instance it wasn't just my husband. It is also the man who lives with his kind and generous wife up the hill from us.

After Andy moved so much of the snow drifts and cleared our drive, Handsome got out our tractor and moved what was too close to the buildings for Andy to get to. We also have a blade on the back that Andy loaned us last year "just in case", and it's come in really handy. He helped my husband put it back on last week, anticipating the storm. Handsome can pull snow away from the buildings with the blade, and then scoop it up with our bucket on the front. After another hour or so, the yard was again passable. 

Of course, the wind blew snow around over night, but that was more easily dealt with. The ice underneath is another matter, so after being holed up for the weekend (we've been home since Thursday because the heavy snow started before daybreak on Friday), we'll need to get out this morning for sand and salt to cover and deal with the ice. We have a ten foot long slab of quartz arriving this afternoon to be installed, and I don't want a single thing to interfere with that!

As an aside, as the temperatures dropped in the minus category, the barn girls were allowed into the house. As soon as the temps rise above zero again, they can go back to their cozy accommodations in the barn, but for now, they're safe inside.

Poor Tag and his short legs will be here to chat with you tomorrow, but I'll have lots of photographs to share on Wednesday. By then, the counter will be installed, the plumber will have completed his work, and with the possible exception of the electrician, we should be wrapped up on the project.

I just wanted to be sure that I wrote a special tribute to a wonderful man, neighbor, and friend today. Thanks for indulging me - and a million thanks to Andy for his kind, generous, and gracious heart. If it weren't for him, I sometimes wonder just how we'd get along here at the end of the road. He really is a gift in our lives.