Snowmageddon 2019

Winter Storm Gia arrived yesterday afternoon. Why do we have to name these damned winter storms, are they jealous of hurricanes or what?

Currently outside there is at least a foot of snow. You will notice in the photo that my driveway is clear. I shoveled it 5 times over the last 24 hours.

I've always been a shoveler, well ever since I moved to the Midwest where it actually snows, unlike West Texas where there is not usually enough to shovel. I always shovel more than once during a snow storm unless it's one of those non-events that doesn't really warrant breaking out the shovel. I catch a lot of grief for my shoveling proclivity. Why are you shoveling while it is still snowing? Can't you wait until it's done? It's 10 p.m. why are you going out again?

I love to shovel. I have an ergonomic shovel with one of those S-curved handles. It's much easier on your back, especially when the snow is wet and heavy. From a practical standpoint, I shovel multiple times when there's a larger accumulation expected because it is easier on my back. It's much easier to move a couple of inches of snow at a time rather than a foot all at once.

The other reason I enjoy shoveling has little to do with practicality. I find shoveling to be a very relaxing activity, both physically and mentally. I find the repetition of going back and forth across the driveway very Zen-like, not unlike raking a Japanese garden in some sense. There's something very much about the pattern of creating a nicely groomed driveway that brings some sense of order and belonging. The best shoveling happens at night, the later the better. When it is snowing enough to keep everyone inside, there's a special kind of quiet that blankets the neighborhood. If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of the snow. You can hear the occasional animal off in the distance. The repetitive sound of the shovel scraping on the pavement echos in the night that can create a very meditative trance-like state. At night, you can very much create a nice state of presence in the world, one that never fails to awaken that sense of wonder in me that the normal rush of life can suppress.

So thank you, Gia, for bringing the chance to stop, relax, and be present in a quiet, snowy wonderland this weekend.