Shoveling Snow

With winter finally showing up, I've been sharpening my snow shoveling skills. The month of February in Buffalo has been cold. Below zero and a couple good shots of snow. The storm of the last couple days has given us a few fresh inches of powder. 

Few weather patterns are as beautiful as a fresh blanket of snow. 

Shoveling sounds simple. Move the snow off the sidewalk in whatever fashion it takes. Yes and no. If you are going to play the long game with winter, you always plan ahead. One trick is to not throw the snow to the north. Most winds come in from the north. The bigger the berm you build in the direction of the wind, the bigger the snow drift it will make on the other side. In Johnson County, shovel the snow to the south. 

Also, throw the snow downhill. If you pile the snow up stream of how water runs off, you'll end up with an ice patch on the sidewalk when things start to melt. 

You also want to work efficiently when moving snow. The less shovel swings you have to make, the better. 

Sounds obvious, but with steps, start high and move lower. 

Push the show from the top steps down to the lower level first. Then you aren't shoveling the bottom section twice. 

Should work. 

To the best I can, I like to manicure snow removal like one would mow a lawn. It isn't just about getting the snow off the walkway so life can go on. It's about keeping the grounds beautiful. Winter has it's own beauty, and a guy can compliment that by intentional snow shoveling. Plan you work and work your plan. Make every shovel swing count. If you do this all winter long, the outside of the church will continue to reflect the beauty contained on the inside. Ranch on.