Snow Hammers Upper Michigan

I guess it was too good to be true!  The birds had returned from their winter vacations, people began venturing out to rake their lawns, and then we hear the forecast for some snow on Tuesday.  I guess they forgot to say it would continue through the week.  As one who had been living in Green Bay for the past 14 years, this does get a bit unsettling.  Don't get me wrong, I "Love" the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Still, at times, the elements fight hard against all sensibilities and I find myself in awe of the those who, knowingly, take such things as just a simple fact of life! 

So, like any good UPPER, I got up early this morning and, for the 3rd time since Tuesday, opened my driveway, stopped at a local cafe for a cup of Java and then plowed again after the grader went by.  In all, we have gotten (unofficially, of course) about 20-25 inches of snow in this storm along with high winds and some respectable snow drifts.  Generally, the municipalities up here do an awesome job of removing snow.  During the winter, the roads and all side streets in most towns are plowed by 7am.  I think this storm caught them a bit off guard as main street in Laurium was still waiting for the big snowblower at 9am this morning.  It's fun to watch actually.  They plow main street toward the center on each side, then come through with a huge snow blower and some dump trucks to catch the snow.  In 10 minutes, main street is clear. 

One of the neighbors got his plow stuck, so I went over, cleared around him and then towed him out with the truck you see above.  This neighbor, who goes by "Pooty" is 82 years old and still going strong.

For those of you considering relocating to the U.P., don't let the snow scare you.  True, you will need a scoop, at a minimum, but the other three seasons most definitely make up for the inconveniences of our lake effect snow.  A couple more weeks and it will be spring up here!  If you have any questions about life here, drop me a line.