Tick, Tock

We had some snow this weekend, Saturday mid-morning into early Sunday, though not as much as forecast (or shouted about in loud voices from the TV as if the world as we knew it were ending, as I like to think of it). Maybe two and skosh inches, maybe a little more or perhaps less?

I'm not complaining about the amount. Snow is not my favorite vegetable even though I live in New England. If we had it the way I experienced it in Greenland three and half decades ago, which was by the foot until it was taller than the barracks I lived in, I'd be long gone, but we don't and I'm not.

If you live where it snows, you cope with it. We have a snow blower/thrower that I didn't use to clear the white stuff yesterday because it was wet and heavy and I don't like stalling the beast out when shoveling gets my heart rate elevated and gets the snow just as gone.

Where I live we have an ordinance about snow removal perhaps to shut up chronic malcontents like me who get annoyed when people cannot be bothered to clear the sidewalks. It's Section 19-1 of the code of ordinances and the only one who has ever read is I.

Yesterday afternoon I walked to the grocery store, because I walk everywhere except East until my hat floats, but had to be careful because of the treacherous, man-made conditions along the route. Of the 24 houses and one church past which I walked on my way to the market, nine couldn't be bothered to clear the snow that had stopped falling some twelve hours earlier.

I walked about half of my hike in the street where I shared space with cars and trucks. This snapshot above is the sort of slip-n-slide I got to put up with. Pity I wasn't buying eggs because I have a terrific routine I do as a juggler and, just a tip if you're in the neighborhood, my five o'clock show is completely different from the two o'clock.

Much like you we are very quick in these parts to jump up and down when 'the city' which can mean many things to many people and usually is shorthand for 'not me' fails to do something we expected or wanted. But this one is on us-we are supposed to take responsibility for clearing the walkways so people don't have to end up in the street or go butt over teakettles on ice and snow that wasn't cleared.

Might I repeat this rant at tonight's City Council meeting? I doubt it as I'm sure the mayor and alderpersons cleared their walkways and unlike my egg juggling, there's only the one performance and all of us know the routines by heart, which is sort of The Point.
-bill kenny