Saturday, February 5, 2011

Baking Soda To Melt Snow?

I was checking out First Magazine at the library. It has a tip from readers section where one reader sent in that baking soda was good for melting ice. I thought this would be great if it works because I could use it on the back steps and not have to worry about irritation to Crickets paws. Yesterday I gave it a try. Unfortunately It didn't work. What I got was baking soda paw prints all over my kitchen floor. So I will be sticking to coating the ice with sand for traction and save the baking soda for my muffins.

My Seed Catalogs Have Arrived


Only three of them but it has me thinking of spring. I'm got my first order set... I just need to place it. I'm ordering from the Gurney catalog and taking advantage of the free $25 coupon it has. I'll have to spend $50 total but they have some really nice looking patio blueberry bushing I want to get. I'm also ordering some strawberries. I wanted to plant some last year but the only plants I could find were sold individually from about $5 a piece I couldn't find anyone who was selling them in the packs.


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

I Love Snow

I really do. I love how beautiful everything looks right after a fresh snow. I love watching the kids ride their sleds down the hill laughing and screaming with glee. I love snowmen and women though getting that head on top can be a pain. I love the look of icicles handing from the trees and roof tops. Although if you have icicles hanging from your roof top make sure you get your gutter looked at right away. Since it means the melting snow is not going down the but over the top and that can lead to roof damage.

BUT.....

Even I will admit we have way to much snow here. The worse part not being the mounds of snow everywhere since I think it looks cool but the fact that not all the sidewalks are clear which means I can't walk to work.

I find it absolutely astounding that people who shovel their walks beautifully will leave that one foot one the property line unshoveled. Neither side taking responsibility for that last piece and when the snow is up to your knees that one foot of sidewalk is a pain to navigate. Then there is the areas that are suppose to be shoveled by the city ( I assume since there is no home owner or business to shovel them.) Especially under the bridges... what a nightmare! You cant safely walk on the sidewalk so you are force into the road which is much more narrow then the rest of the road, placing you that much closer to traffic. ( If you could see the way they drive here you would know the further away from them you can get the better.)

I tried walking a couple of times before the last snow storm. After some ankle twisting and a semi blasting past me under the bridge, I gave up! Now I"m driving and I feel terrible. Not just using precious resources (gas and money) but I'm missing out on the great exercise I was getting. Now I'm stuck driving with people who are apparently crazier then I am (when they get behind the wheel) watching them run stop signs (not even bothering to pretend to stop), illegal passing and turning. The stuff some of these people do should lose them their license but the cops are too busy texting and talking on their cell phones and activity that is illegal here but you can watch them driving down the road doing it.

I can't wait till spring and the sidewalks become safe for walking again or better still my hubby gets assigned someplace else hopefully away from the giant mass of people crammed onto this Island.
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