We only have about 16 inches of snow and we could get out with the truck if necessary – the driveway slopes downhill to the gate. Getting back in – at least getting all the way back uphill to the house - becomes problematic if we don’t plow the driveway. In 2008′s big snow, we learned that plowing the driveway with our tractor is arduous (no angled blade) and leaves a big mess after the thaw as a certain amount of gravel winds up displaced with the snow.
Griz’s tender back is in highly tender phase right now and the weather guys are promising warming by Sunday, so we’ve chosen to leave ourselves snowed in. It’s an easy decision for us - a full pantry and freezer, a warm stove, lots of gas for the generator if needed, and assorted other little self-sufficiencies are a natural part of our lifestyle. Plus – there’s nowhere else that we absolutely have to be.
We usually ship Tools-n-Gizmos orders the same day they arrive, but we posted an online notice indicating we won’t ship until Monday this time. Most of our regular customers know we’re not a big operation. They appreciate the personal attention they usually get and are thus very forgiving about the occasional glitch. There’s great value in not pretending to be something you’re not.
In the quiet whiteness, I’m again thankful for the lifestyle we’ve arranged for ourselves. Solitude isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – many can’t arrange it, even if they want it. But for us - choosing solitude when we want or need it is an easy and extraordinarily valuable option.
I’ve posted more of this year’s snow pics on Flickr.
