As the snow piles up over the tops of our cars, beyond the pointed edges of our picket fence, and up to the roof, drastic measures had to be taken. With enormous drifts on the roof, I, dumb Tony tied myself to a brace and climbed out to shovel off the snow. Isaac and Mom watched and helped as I tried to both rid us of five feet of snow and not kill myself.  

Isaac has seen this before as many of our neighbors and folks in the area do crazy New England only things like using snow blowers on their roofs.  These people have been labeled by Bianca and I as "Yahoos."  And sometimes in passing we will say "That guy (always a guy) is a straight up yahoo."

For Isaac though, this has translated into a few different things.  The slightly crazy guy is a "Wahoo." The really crazy guy is a "straight up wahoo."  We found this out when I decided to go on the roof.  My safety set up (giant hank of sisal rope and an old shovel handle wedge into the window frame) got me out of the "wahoo" category.  In fact, Isaac told Bianca, "Daddy is being careful, he is not a straight up wahoo."

So as snow piles up, be careful.  Lest you become a straight up wahoo.

Isaac and Dad have been cooped up for a long time this winter--what with 80 plus inches of snow on the ground.  So we have taken to all sorts of goofiness, including lots of games with our wooden fiream collection.  Every once in a while Isaac will want to pose for the camera and this shot was just too good not to share:



Not the wooden Winchester in his right hand as he skulks seriously across the floor of the first floor hallway.  He ain't messin' around and he is really looking for some varmints to take out. 

Yesterday I scraped, shoveled, and chipped away ice.  Its gotten so bad that I had to shave off the tops of snow mounds to accomodate the snow blower's chute.  I had to shovel, with my pick axe in some places, three times on Sunday.  Tired does not describe it.  Add to that a grueling day at court, one that including a hearing in a case that has been around for more than 7 years.  The drive in took an hour and half and the drive home was two. Its been brutal. Isaac has been great, though.

Until tonight.  

I pulled in and outside, scraping the snow off the driveway was a little guy, equipped with a shovel, being supervised by his 9 month pregnant Mom.  He has  a tiny little shovel, but he was really using it, picking up snow and tossing it.  I got out of the car and he and Bianca told me that they were helping me, making a spot so I could just pull in and come inside.

Then, as I was walking towards the house Isaac told me he was not done yet.  As I went inside, he stayed out and shoveled the walk back to the fence.  How amazing is that kid?  I kissed his cherub red cheeks when he came in about 45 seconds later (and we watched from the kitchen as he did it).  He rang the doorbell, BTW.