Snowcrete and other things that are bothering me this winter

 It's a Winter Wonderland

The Saffles getting outside to walk to the local coffee shop. 

This, the year of our Lord 2026, has brought us a plentiful harvest of snow. More than most years, and combined with a subfreezing weather lasting weeks, it's been sticking around for a few weeks. I'm already over it.

The day before the snow storm, my mother (who watches way too much news) called me to ask if I would unscrew her hoses from the outside faucets. Even though we turned off the outdoor water back in November, she saw someone on the news fear-cast that people should remove the hoses so your house doesn't explode. At least that was where the paranoia level was when she got me to shlep over to the house. Well, what should have been a quick turn of the wrist, turned out to be another reminder that I was over 50 and my back was waiting for this exact time to take go out. So, the day before I needed to shovel 6-8 inches of solid "snowcrete" (as dubbed by the News) I was out of commission. 

Good news, I have two sons who are both strong and desperate for Robux (a digital currency). So they took on the job of snow shovelers and got to work. They didn't have a lot else to do, school was canceled for the entire week (it snowed on Saturday, they didn't go to school until the following Monday, and it was a late start at that). 

All in all, we survived the week. The kids got their virtual mullah, I got to rest my back, and Nohora got her winter wonderland, something that she never had growing up in South America. Seven weeks into 2026, it's been eventful. Glad I didn't partake in dry-January. 

- Michael