A Blizzard Named Nemo

Our Private Road Between Neighbors

Last Friday a blizzard roared into New England. Two storms colliding off the mid-Atlantic coast, then storming northward and out to sea. We were lucky, only in the 8-12" range. Other places in Massachusettes, Connecticut and Maine were in the 24"+ band, and that is what they got. I heard one place got 41 inches of the deep white stuff. We were closer to about 10 inches, which isn't really a huge deal around here. The interstate stayed pretty clear, sideroads a bit slick and slushy, but still passable, and things were pretty much back to normal by Saturday. I made it into work each day, but I did leave a little early for home on Friday and we closed the store up about 2 hours after I left. This storm would not have really had me concerned except for one thing; my husband left early Thursday morning to spend 3 days down in Burlington teaching one of his residency courses. He would not be home until late Saturday evening. I was left to get up early to walk the dogs before I left for work, and again when I got home, feed the pellet stove so the fire didn't go out, and figure out how to move a possible foot of snow from our 1/4 mile long driveway and private road. He is the one who takes the plow up and down, and finishes it off with the new snowblower. Hmmm I can drive thru about 6 inches with the car, but I can't shovel out our driveway and road and be to work on time. I was talking to my daughter down in Maryland Thursday night, and she told her husband he needed to come up and clear the snow out for me (he helped do this when we got 18"at Christmas) but his immediate response-"call Steve!" Steve is our neighbor, who lives that quarter mile down our driveway, then about a quarter mile up his. And that's what I did as soon as we hung up. His wife answered, and upon learning I was home alone with a nor-easter headed our way, said "smart boy" when I told her that my son-in-law said to call them. Of course Steve would be sure to keep me cleared out, what time did I need to leave for work, what time would I be back, was there anything else I needed? Our neighbors are the best. It's not a neighborhood, its a community of very special people who care about and for each other. Its a wonderful, comforting feeling. I know there are neighborhoods like this all over, but we like to think ours is very unique, and it is. Friday morning Steve was over at 7:50 plowing the driveway. As I was leaving work about 3 I sent him a text asking what it was like up here, and he said he had plowed again about 2, so I should have no problem getting in. During the night we had maybe 3 more inches of snow, and when I took the dogs our early Saturday morning I figured I wouldn't have any trouble driving thru it to get out, not wanting to bother Steve again to say I needed to go to work. But sure enough, he came rolling down the driveway about 7:50 again. And later after I got home, he sent me a text asking if all was okay, and he would come over if any goblins appeared before my husband got home. Cute. There are 4 neighbor families that are close, we have dinners together, celebrate holidays, share chores, watch each others' houses, and tell fantastic stories. Back in Maryland we had neighbors we would talk to and help out, but we weren't especially close. We did turn to one neighbor when our dog Cody collapsed one afternoon, and he helped us get him to the vet. And we had a group of neighbors where we lived in England that we were friends with, but each in their own way, not all together like we are here. We are lucky to be a part of this fantastic group of people. 

Our (plowed) Driveway