Son,

I live in the Midwest.   We have been in the bullseye of weather systems for several weeks.  The Great Ice Storm of 2007 took away our electrical power.  Now we are inundated with snow on snow.

I have about 250 feet of sidewalks to be shoveled.  And I shovel with my little red snow shovel.  The snow keeps coming so I have reduced my shoveling to a path as wide as my shovel.  My visitors will just have to walk in single file to get to my house.

This is all OK – but I am running out of places to put the snow.  I was out today, again shoveling my driveway (in addition to the sidewalks).  If I put any more snow on my already existing piles it just falls back to the driveway.  (The rule of thumb is that loose piled anything falls at about a 35 degree angle).

I was shoveling around my two-wheel drive pickup truck when an idea struck me.  Put the snow in the bed of the truck.  I need the weight for traction and I need somewhere to put the snow.  When the snow melts off the streets and I no longer need the weight it will take care of itself – it will melt out of my truck.

I am just so pleased with myself – the ideas also gave me something to think about while shoveling snow.

Dad