January snow in Palmer

It is January and we have LOTS of snow, finally. The deep cold has visited a few times and we have dealt with at least four major back to back windstorms. Now is the time for snow and we are so grateful. It is a blessing because it is protecting our earth. This kind of snow layer is terribly late this year. Typically we have a nice base of snow to insulate our tender plants and underground piping. This year we have had 3 months of no substantial snow cover so damage is already done. We will find out in the spring. The frost has reached deep into the ground now, without the snow cover. Again we will find the result of this in the spring. So a good snow cover is helpful and now we finally have it.

Our friends, the Snow Shovels—It is time to reacquaint ourselves with snow shovels so we will both examine and analyze our friends. In Palmer we surely now have a good opportunity to use them and we will all receive a work out. Some of us will develop muscles we had never met before. So in honor of the snow season, here are the MUST HAVE shovels:

• Rectangular Metal Shovel—Some call this a coal shovel. I call it the bad bully because it doesn’t care who or what it scoops. It’s a utility shovel and it can go heavy or it can go light. It has a square nose.

• Big Plastic Poly Scooper—This is the colorful and lightweight snow thrower. It takes a-lot of accumulated snow and carves out a path fast. This shovel isn’t fancy but it works hard and it is humble.

• Lightweight plastic Slicer—This is more of a specialty shovel which I use to cut larger snow piles into sections I can throw. It is good for precision.

• Monster Pusher—This is also known as a sleigh shovel and is usually at least two feet in width. We push this one as hard as we can. Wear grips so you have traction.

• Ice Chipper—This is a heavy weapon with a sharp pointy edge which you drop with force on solid ice.

• There is also the very long roof shovel which is unwieldy and kinda dangerous. Roof rakes have extra long handles and wide heads.

• Ideally we would have one 14 year old—to go with each shovel. They have the energy, agility and the muscle to make short time of any shoveling exercise.

• In recent years I have learned the value of a leaf-blower. It won’t do much with packed snow, but it keeps the steps and walkway clean if you stay on it during fresh snowfall. It’s actually very amazing and also very loud. And it is kinda lazy instead of broom sweeping. But you feel extra powerful and that isn’t a bad thing.

• I also have a small snow blower. It’s like a baby snow blower and it cuts a teeny tiny path. It is bright orange and very helpful sometimes.

All of these snow tools are part of the snow arsenal.

Snow-blindness—Now is the time to use those sunglasses. The mid day brilliance of the snow coupled with the brilliance of the sun are exponential in value now. Snow-blindness is known as photokeratitis which is caused from rays reflected off both ice and snow. Eye damage from UV rays is particularly common in the North and South Pole areas or in high mountains where the air is thinner and provides less protection from UV rays. We have it all now. We love it. But protect your eyes in a big way. I am not sure how other mammals handle this immense light but we humans get to use our sunglasses and goggles. Historically snow glasses were made or carved from bones or wood, with a long slit horizontally across the bridge of the nose piece.

ENJOY IT!—Snow is a comfort. Even if you don’t participate in playing in the snow, watching it from a window is like touching mental serenity. There is something hypnotic about snowflakes dropping to the earth. And if you are a skier, sledder, tunnel builder, snowman maker—get out there and do it! There is no time like Snow Time!

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222.