Member-only story
Why I Finally Bought a Snowblower
I grew up in upstate New York, in Amsterdam, so I have been shoveling snow my entire life — for almost 70 years now. And quite honestly, for most of those years, I did not mind. Growing up, I shoveled with my dad, I shoveled with the neighbors next door, and I shoveled with friends. Later, I shoveled with my wife, Barbara, and with our two girls: Maria and Katrina. Shoveling snow is one of those winter rituals we share, a rite of passage, if you will. Let me tell you about a few shoveling experiences, and let me also explain why I eventually had to buy a snowblower.
I think I began shoveling at about the age of five. Prior to that, our family rented a second-floor apartment on East Main Street, and the landlord handled that task for us. Besides, I’m sure I was too small and too weak previously to be of much help. Once we bought our own home on Wilson Avenue, however, the task was all ours, and Dad and I were out there often, first cleaning off the sidewalk and stairs in front of our home and later the driveway to the backyard. At that age, I’m sure I still wasn’t much help, but I think Dad liked having me out there with him, and I know I enjoyed working beside him.
As I aged and became more capable, Dad gradually handed that shoveling task over to me completely, and I didn’t mind because the Dufresne boys were out there with me: Mike, Pat, Tim, Kevin, and…
