Back at so-called Real Life. . .

[rolanni]

Many thanks to everyone who expressed their condolences.  Your kindness is much appreciated.

Today was about putting away the detritus of Doing Taxes, packing some books to mail, and trying to shovel snow off the roof of the deck, because there's approximately five hundred and thirty-three tons of snow up there, and while Todd built it to withstand a Maine winter, I'm pretty sure we're approaching its reasonable load-bearing capacity.

Now, the problem with raking the roof is. . .it's 'waaaaaay up there.  Also, I can only rake the side that is directly over the steps.  Mount Snowplow defends it from a frontal approach.  And a large fall of snow in front of the basement door defends it from the back.

Possibly, yes, I could climb over the rail and stand on Mount Snowplow, but I deem that a tad risky.  It may bear my weight.  Or it may bear my weight for a while.  If I break through, there'll be no getting me out until autumn. If I miss my footing and slide down the wrong side, I'd either have to scale the Mount on its smooth side, or lay down on my belly and swim across the snow like an otter, alllllll the way around the base of the Mount until I came to a place where it's possible to climb over the berm, to the driveway.

Also, I don't do ladders.  At all.  Never mind ladders unsteadily braced on snow and ice.

Which leaves standing on the steps, heaving the rake repeatedly up to the roof and dragging buckets of snow down onto my own head.  Yes, yes; it's a comedy act.

It's also relatively futile.  I've raked off the snow I can reach, but there's plenty too much up there, and no way for me to disturb it enough so it will start moving, say, down the slope of the roof, and off , adding to the consequence of our temporary mountain.

Gah.

In other news, Steve is still struggling with the disappearance of korval.com, and attempting to make it appear again.  Very sorry for the continued bouncing mail, and other inconveniences.  If you have written to either of us at a korval.com address, and have gotten a bounce message, best to send again, to our gmail addresses.

It remains eerily quiet in my office.  I keep glancing over to the corner that Mozart frequented most during the last few months -- and it's empty, of course.  The lack of his presence is almost a presence of itself.

Tomorrow, I am turning off All The Things, and Shutting All of the Doors so I can work.  I'm  starting to get very cranky with regard to not working.  *glares at universe*

And, to make up, at least a little, for the tone of this post, I offer you two coon cats in a box too small for one -- and good evening.

Dad and daughter, napping.

Comments

Roof

[mothadventures.livejournal.com]

Having spent far too long today shoveling off the roof (standing on it: flat roof 1950's house) I sympathize with the shoveling issue. Ours isn't mount snowplow but mount shove-it (as in, shove it off the edge of the roof).

We do have one shed with a slanted roof, and I am seriously contemplating this:
http://minnsnowtaonline.com/products/roof-razor-dynamo-24-inch-wide-best-for-residential-use

If I add an extra 6 foot extension, I should be able to reach the whole roof from the nearest semi-cleared path....and push/cut is a lot easier than pull-and-curse.

Re: Roof

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

OK, that's a Serious Looking Device. Wouldn't solve my problem, because I'd still have to bring the blocks of snow straight out, whereupon -- gravity.

I could do more even with my rake if it had a...gimbal at the rake-part, or some way I could set it at an angle...

Be careful, standing on the roof, there, flat or not...

[spiffikins]

I grew up in Vancouver BC, and while we didn't get a *lot* of snow, occasionally we would get dumped on and get a few feet at once. But it never stayed very cold for very long - so it would start to melt, and then refreeze overnight - and thus the snow would become waterlogged and extremely heavy.

So occasionally my father would send the children out, armed with long bamboo sticks and rakes and brooms and have us go knock the snow off the tree branches so that they didn't break off under the weight.

Well, apparently we weren't too bright as every single time we went out excitedly to wage battle with the snow!
And immediately found ourselves soaked to the skin as the snow merrily slid off the branches and ...onto our heads.

We didn't play too much with the roof - but I do recall trying to shift a metric ton of snow off the trampoline a few years in a row...

While this is a fantastic trip down memory lane, I don't regret moving to California 14 years ago, IN THE LEAST. The weatherbeans are predicting temperatures in the 70s this weekend. Sorry. That was just mean.

Riddle

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

What is better than a coon cat in a box? Answer: two coon cats in a box!

Also in MA they have peeps that climb up on your roof for you and shovel it off. Maybe such exists where you are.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Oooo, cats!

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Just double-checking -- you are talking about a roof rake, right, not an ordinary rake? 'cause I know there are such gadgets... there's even a YouTube about making one yourself. Here in Japan, people have a bad tendency to get up on the roof and shovel, which every year results in some number of people falling, with the occasional death. They do recommend other approaches. I know I've seen people talking about wire and rope and such? Makes sense -- toss something over the roof with a rope attached, then walk the rope along the roof (probably with a friend on the other side of the house). Do be careful, being mashed by an avalanche of snow from your own roof would be embarrassing...

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Roof rake, right.

If I could get 'round to the other side of the deck, I could do better, but -- can't get out the basement door; it's snowed in.

The House of Negative Feng Shui strikes again.

[thewol.livejournal.com]

Are you sure those are Maine coon cats? I think you may have gotten Maine cocoon cats by mistake. They can be hard to tell apart.