The nice thing about having a really long driveway is that it affords significant privacy. The downside is that it takes a long time to clear snow, especially after a powerful Nor’easter. Last night, we received about 11 inches of fresh snow, and it was the wet and heavy kind. I had an appointment with an orthopedist to evaluate my hip and knees at 8 am, so I had to get an early start on snowblowing the driveway. I have two sets of batteries for my electric snowblower, and I had to use each set twice to complete the job. On the first pass, I cleared a path just wide enough for one of our cars to reach the road. I took care of everything else on the second pass later in the day. I always make an effort to get down to the asphalt when temperatures are below freezing, and more snow is in the forecast. Failure to do so just makes future snowblowing that much more difficult.

Incidentally, I learned that my hips and knees hurt because of decades of wear and tear. The doctor saw no immediate or foreseeable need for replacement joints. The plan is to continue my stretching and strengthening routine and to address pain with Ibuprofen.