I’ve Got Piles Like The Mall!

Isn’t this what they do at the mall? Oh my god! My driveway has reached mall parking lot status!

It hasn’t snowed in a few days, but our plow guy Frank was here this morning. He left his plow home.

Frank’s visit follows a phone call early last week. Bad news: We’ve run out of room! Snow was piled so high and thick there was no place to put anything new that fell. He’d have to come with a front end loader and move snow to clear some room.

Isn’t this what they do at the mall? Oh my god! My driveway has reached mall parking lot status!

I am truly winter’s bitch.

I thought you’d enjoy seeing the attached photo of the new piles (one of which sits squarely over the warmth of our septic tank). That pile on the left is around ten feet tall.

As I walked out to take my shots I noticed one neighbor had been on his roof this morning clearing off snow. Another had a ladder leaning against his roof where he too was moving snowing. These, unfortunately, are sure signs water’s coming in the house.

Ice and snow stay outside. Melted snow does not. It’s a time release gift from Mother Nature. No one waits weeks to clear a roof unless they have to.

We’ve all become winter’s bitch.

16 thoughts on “I’ve Got Piles Like The Mall!”

  1. I realized how old I’ve gotten when I saw snowpiles like that near my house and remembered how much fun they would have been to climb over or tunnel under. Now I just curse them out for spilling water onto the street, where it freezes, and for blocking the view at the corner. Getting old is depressing!

  2. We had piles like that in our yard too. My husband, who plows residential is running out of room with clients and in our own yard. Last weekend we removed anywhere from one to almost three feet of snow from our pitched room. Then he widened the driveway and pushed snow further onto the lawn to leave room for further snowfall. We live in Plainfield and due putting additional insulation in the ceiling a couple of years ago to help save on cost of fuel it also has its downside, snow stays on the roof. It seems mother nature has cost us what we made up in saving fuel oil.

  3. Hi Geoff… I spent 3.5 hours raking my roof and then shoveling what I raked. I measured my back yard today … no drifts… 46″. And that is after several melts and re-freezing. Even the dogs won’t stay out. Called my insurance company and added flood insurance because this snow is going to have to go somewhere and flood insurance covers melting snow damage! I think it’s going to be a tough year for basements!

  4. A wise man once told me that water is the natural enemy of the homeowner. It is not your friend and needs to be tightly controlled. The roofing contractors are looking at a great spring…

  5. I can think of a few places on elm st where it may be a good place for your plow guy to put the snow. 🙂

  6. I love the comment about becoming “winters Bitch”! That is so true, its all we talk about anymore, “how much snow is on your roof”? “Did you see Mr Smith on his roof with a shovel”? “The snow on the sides of my driveway are higher than my car”!

  7. Geoff,

    Is that really your driveway in the photo? When was the last time you shot some hoops? Can you dunk?

    When I was (much) younger, clear pavement at this time of year was cause for some serious ball.

    By the way, I never could dunk.

  8. Called my insurance agent about flood insurance and was told that the feds provide that it will only pay on a claim if two acres are flooded. It’s not going to help with flooded basements. Solution: buy sump pumps. Portable versions are available at places like Lowe’s for under $100. I even ordered one online that is battery operated.

  9. Those big piles are one reason I like doing my almost 400 foot driveway with a big snowblower. The snow gets thrown back enough that I don’t end up driving between two 6 foot walls, and my parking area pretty much stays the same size all winter instead of steadily shrinking. Of course, it’s a little more work…

  10. Geoff,
    Assuming we ease into spring, and don’t immediately have a lot of rain and high temps, how much of the snow will melt vs. sublimate? I have spent all winter shoveling, and don’t want to spend all spring with a flooded basement!

  11. “I am truly winter’s bitch”

    ROTFLMAO!!!

    You couldn’t get away with saying THAT on the air.

    I’m *almost glad WTNH didn’t renew your contract. I don’t usually watch the news but get most of it online. What I did prefer to watch though was the weather report and you were the one I turned to. I also (as I’ve mentioned in previous replies) used to get the e-mail weather updates and always looked forward to your comments. But I didn’t know you had a blog until I found out you weren’t returning to the channel 8. I’m sure it was mentioned on the air but when I actually SEE someone on the air, I don’t necessarily follow them online. I’m glad I found your blog. I look forward to your entries a lot.

    *I say “almost” because it still sucks that you lost your job. I’m not completely selfish 😉

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