The break-up

OK, Snow, I'm really breaking up with you this time.   It's the last day of February, 2015.

In the past month, I have slipped on black ice on my driveway, going flat on my face, (thankfully having only a small bruise on one knee) I have shoveled, raked my roof while standing in 3 feet of snow, and taken to smacking the icicles from the edge of the roof daily.

My boots seem continuously to be damp on the inside, so I am hanging them upside down in my toasty warm furnace room, near my laundry area.   I put them right-side up with I am going out again, and use double socks.

We have bought all available ice-melt, and of course, have to be careful to get the calcium chloride beads to sprinkle on the front step and walk because the rock salt will dissolve away chunks of concrete.

I have repeatedly brushed off the vehicles and scraped the windows.   This allows me to get to the end of the driveway, where I am surrounded by mountains of snow which are left from my husband snow-blowing the stuff from the driveway.  Yes, I am referring to 4 or 5 foot mountains at the end of the driveway. And of course, he has to clear a car length near the mail box or the postal service will refuse to leave our mail.

The other night I had to go out and it was after dark.  These days I am cautiously backing into the driveway, so I can nose my way out onto the street, rather than backing out.
I got to the end of the driveway, and while inching the front of the car out, I thought the coast was clear.   Suddenly, I spied a reflection of headlights on the snow mounds across the street, signaling that another car was coming along, soon to be passing the end of my driveway.

I waited and sure enough, a car passed.  I continued to inch along and got out onto the street.
Oh, yes, the streets in our neighborhood..  Right in front of my house, the street is pretty good.
But further down the street, because of frost heaves (which I am told will level out later) the street appears to be a ribbon of sorts.  parts of the pavement almost seem like speed bumps.  I'm really not exaggerating here.  There are deep gullies and elevated bumps that surely will damage someone's car if they travel that route.  I avoid that part of the road in our development.

Snow, you make the yard look so beautiful and enchanted when you first arrive.  There's nothing like seeing you cling to the trees in my yard and you look like you're out of a dream.
Now, I'm ready for the nightmare to end, Snow.   There is nothing between us that needs to continue, if you know what I mean.

I am dreaming of working in my vegetable garden, and you are in my way.

Yes, I heard another report of another few inches of snow coming, as we hear about every week this winter, and I am just tuning the reports out now.  We're on our last bit of snow melt, our muscles are sore, my boots have just about had it this year, and I've gone through many pairs of gloves while struggling to clear the car and yard.

The cat wants to go out!

There's no other way to say it, Snow--you are no longer welcome here!