Blizzard Blessed

January 10, 2018

The best blessings often come disguised as something else. The blizzard here meant today’s bi-weekly trip to Rochester to visit my mother wasn’t going to happen. At 5:30 this morning, there was nearly a foot of snow in my driveway, and it was still coming down steadily, so after our regular Thursday morning men’s prayer meeting and after serving breakfast to the Wrap kids, it was time to plow the driveway. The snow was tapering off, so I hitched up the back blade in addition to the bucket on the front of the tractor, and set to work.

It was a couple years ago when I last used the back blade. I put it up after tearing siding off the corner of my garage when I misgauged how much the sweep of the blade added to the turning radius of the tractor. It was not a happy day. The siding was brand new the summer before. A few weeks ago, my brother in law was extolling the benefits of a hydraulically operated plow blade on his tractor, so I started looking around, and actually bought a unit that contrary to the assurances of our local John Deere dealer, couldn’t be mounted to my tractor without some extensive and expensive modifications. Lesson learned: don’t try to mix accessories with other model tractors. It’ll bite you in the arse...right where the wallet resides.

After managing to unload that unit at somewhat of a loss, I thought about a tractor-mounted snow blower, but the price of those things is enough to make me choke. Maybe someday. Not today. Which brings me back to that back blade. Originally mounted to the 8N that belonged to Linda’s father, I gave it to our son when he inherited the old girl. He has someone hired to plow his driveway, so it sat unused in his barn. A quick inquiry, a half hour of work, and I had it sitting beside my garage, waiting for the snow which came last night.

So instead of driving through a blizzard to Rochester, I was contentedly plowing my driveway, discovering how much easier it is with the blade than the bucket. Put together, they make a pretty unbeatable combo. Did I mention that I love plowing? The snow that makes some people growl made me glad. 

The bonus? Our granddaughter Abi was planning on catching a ride with a friend and heading back to college today. By going to see my mom tomorrow, Abi got another day home, and I get a couple hours having her all to myself as we drive up tomorrow. It helps that college is only about ten minutes from my mother. A blizzard...I am doubly blessed!