Pbenjay's Blog

You may think this is just another rant about this  interminable winter and the unending snow storms leaving compounded snow  accumulation – BUT just read on if you will.  We left Manhattan in the early afternoon cats in tow, streets cleared and clean, the only snow left was on the roof of our car.  When we arrived in Ocean Grove, it was clear that we were now in another climate zone.  OMG! I kind of gasped and screamed because as I looked at the house, I saw that  two enormous branches had fallen into our yard.   Must have been heavy snow and ice BUT we don’t have a tree in our backyard. BUT first things first – we couldn’t really park the car since the plows had created a solid wall of snow against the curb.  I’m wearing sneakers, have a really bad knee and am trying to negotiate stepping through but am actually stepping into (up to my knees) the mound of snow and onto the sidewalk that’s not shoveled and up the steps that were iced and snowed over, and trudged my way to the backyard by way of the not shoveled However, when I mentioned the fact that we had a lot of tree in our yard, he didn’t make any suggestions as to how or who should remove it. walkway. WHY am I heading to the backyard (remember where my husband keeps the snow shovel)? It’s like a routine now with me-I walk through the snow, go into the house and get the dust broom’s shovel and actually use that to remove enough snow so I can get to the shed and retrieve the snow shovel. Here we go again – I have to shovel my way to the front of the house, clear the steps at least to the front porch  BECAUSE the cats are still in the car! Can’t open the car doors anyway until we clear away the snow bank.  Our neighbor, Brian (whose tree it is) came out with a coal shovel and helped us chip away the ice so we can unload the car.

After the cats and all the kaboodle we seem to transport back and forth across the state line were in the house, Peter and I tackled the tree situation.  Two really big branches and all their little branches were entangled like tentacles in the fence, around the squirrel feeder and the bird feeder was dangling from yet another broken branch that had yet to fall. You know a picture is worth a 1000 words – take a look!

Oh wait, I forgot one of best parts of our arrival today – After I shoveled the walk and cleared some of the front porch, I checked the mailbox and found a Notice of Violation and Order to Correct from the town reminding me of the snow removal ordinance and giving me until yesterday to remove the snow.  Well we cleared a very narrow path on the sidewalk  late this afternoon so since  today is the 18th so I hope that was only a warning and hope there won’t be any summons to follow.  Just in case you all want to know we are in violation of Ordinance 13-2 Removal of snow and Ice and 13-2.1 Responsibility for Removal: Time. You’re expected to remove all snow and ice from the sidewalk within 12 daylight hours after the snow fall. MMmmm.

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