An Ode To An Old Friend

Yesterday morning, I awoke to at least five inches of snow on the ground around my Cedar Rapids home. And a temperature of nearly 10 below zero. Would my 17-year old snowblower answer the call?

I try to treat my Toro Powerlite Snowblower with the utmost respect. When you move into a house on a corner, you never think about how much sidewalk you have and how long it will take to clear it of snow. You also don't think about how much it will hurt when you're doing it with just a shovel, your two hands, and one unlucky back.

When we moved into our Cedar Rapids home nearly 18 years ago, we didn't buy a snowblower the first year. I thought, I'm in my early 20's. No worries. Besides, what are the chances of getting a huge snow. That winter we received a foot during one snowstorm. I vowed we'd have a snowblower by the next winter.

We bought one that next fall and it's still running strong. I've replaced only the "beater bar" as I call it, the primer button, and spark plugs over the years. That's it. Tuesday morning, it started on the second pull and I couldn't have been more grateful. I just hope it can give me a few more good years. And I really hope I don't have to use it again this winter. I don't like my chances on that one...