[AT] Plowing snow

[Greg Hass]

I'm really getting tired of winter. As has been pointed out I still have 
better weather than Ralph, but still I guess it's all relevant. We have 
not had a thaw since before Christmas. About 10 days before Christmas I 
put some machinery in the shed that I hadn't gotten to. Well, all the 
ice and snow that was on them is still there, hasn't melted a bit. This 
is the longest spell in my lifetime that we have gone this long without 
a thaw of any kind. All I have to move my snow with is a small skid 
steer with a 23 hp. Honda engine. I have a 60 inch bucket on it and use 
that to move snow. I have 2 over 100 horse tractors but nothing on them 
to move snow. I have an old 5 foot back blade but it is light and our 2 
to 3 foot drifts are just too much and the loader is just easier and 
faster. Most nights for the last 2 months have been near or below zero; 
the last 2 nights have both been below zero, our lowest being -23 
degrees. Very rare in our part of Michigan and over the last month many 
all time cold records have been broken. It is supposed to warm up the 
end of next week but the weatherman has been saying that for two months 
now. For heat for the house I have been burning corn. This year I got 5 
and a half ton and it will be gone  Sunday or Monday.  I have done this 
for 6 or 7 years. I run it from thanksgiving until the  middle of March. 
The rest of the time I use oil as I can't keep the corn burning in warm 
weather. Just the same I save about $2000 a year doing this.
                Greg Hass