The "You Gotta' Be Kiddin' Me!" Story

An annoyed member of the family checks
the March snowfall from yesterday.

It was an ordinary day. Then the snow began to drop from the sky.  It's March 14 for goodness sakes; it's not supposed to snow!  Baseball season is around the corner and my son and grandson are busy practicing for the start of their little league season which begins shortly.  Did I say it was snowing?  And, not just a little snow ... we have more than a foot of snow on the back deck.  The cat is rather annoyed also, not being able to check out the perimeter of the property for vagrant wanderers.  Enough of snow to shut down the U.S. Post Office and postal deliveries, all schools, most churches and just about every senior center in the county.  The local newspaper sent me an email telling me to click on their link to get the online edition since many drivers wouldn't be able to make their deliveries this morning.  Well, I clicked on the link and found a story telling about the five biggest, "humdinger" snowfalls in the month of March since 1926.  Biggest one was on March 13, 1993 when we had 18 inches and was described as one of the worst blizzards of the century with wind gusts up to 72 miles per hour and drifts up to fifteen feet high.  March 16, 1956 brought 14.5 inches, March 4, 1941 gave us 14 inches, March 3, 1960 yielded 12 inches, March 19, 1958 sent 13 inches and March 3, 1960 left 12 inches on the ground.  

Back deck of our "Beach House" shows the latest snow.

But this snow is different, since I can't help my dear wife clear the walks and driveway due to my recent prostate cancer surgery.  Put a call in to my next door neighbors, Keith and Patti, who were both students in my Graphic Arts class; actually met for the first time in my class and evidently enjoyed it when I paired them to print one of the school's publications.  Patti sent her daughters and the boyfriend of one of the daughters over to clear the walks as a favor which was greatly appreciated.  Another former student of mine, Rick, who does my lawn treatments, showed up late afternoon and plowed the driveway and we are finally able to function once again.  Haven't heard yet whether the snowfall will be in the top 5, but I'm glad its over.  Feel so helpless when events such as that happen and I'm physically unable to pull my share of the responsibilities in the family.  So glad to have others that don't mind chipping in to give me a hand.  It was much appreciated, to be sure!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Waiting for his feed.