SNOW!

It is true, we're in a drought situation here in Idaho. It is true, we depend on snowpack in the mountains to replenish our rivers, streams and reservoirs, and to replenish the aquifers way below the ground from whence most of us suck our water thanks to municipalities who charge us a lot for the service. It is true various religious denominations in the area have asked members to pray for "moisture." It's true I'm grateful that, this year, the snow has been more abundant in years past, if only to ensure our forests don't go up like a torch as soon as summer hits and the farmers stop their incessant whining about not having water as they wait for their government subsidy checks.

That being said, I want to go on the record as being officially sick of having to deal with all this snow. I'm tired of shoveling the sidewalks. I'm tired of scraping the frost off the windshield in the morning. I'm tired of dodging -- and having to plow through -- four-foot-tall piles of snow in the middle of the road because that's what passes for snow removal in the municipality where I have to catch the bus for work. (Never mind that little ol' Sugar City, with one slightly maniacal snow removal person responsible for all our city roads, can have the roads cleared -- including the ends of our driveways) in a 12-hour period, while in nearby Rexburg they'll still be working on the most recent snowfall for the next several days.) I felt like a rat in a maze trying to get to the bus this morning. Every street I took, snow was piled everywhere, blocking routes and sending me back out onto the main street, where the snow removal people at work don't necessarily look behind them as they back up to move snow. They're scary people. Not as scary as the Schwann's drivers or the Salt Lake shuttle people who consistently try to run me off the road in the wee hours of the morning, but they're right up there, scarywise.

Then there are the morons at Everday Floral, obviously weary at blaming college students for their parking woes, who are now pointing their thorn-pricked fingers at we INL commuters. Well, they need to visit the parking lot we use when we're using it, just to see in what various out-of-the-way snowpiles we have to park because, ahem, it's the COLLEGE KIDS still hogging all the spots. There are cars in the lot so buried in snow you can tell they haven't been moved in weeks, if not months.

I will post pictures of the snow sometime this week, once I can locate the camera. The photos will include the spot in the yard I had to dig out in order to free our light-up Christmas reindeer, one of which was completely buried. It stands 2 1/2 feet tall, telling me it's no illusion to believe we have at least three feet of snow on the ground.