I Promise! You Have Never Seen A Frankenplow!

In Newfoundland, we talk a lot about the weather because, well, we just get so much of it.  And this is usually a year round fair comment on our climate.  Perhaps you will have heard the old adage often used on the Rock, "If you don't like the weather in Newfoundland, just wait 20 minutes and it will change!" 

I know that in some places where I have traveled, it's not as common to talk about the weather.  The weather there is the same nearly every day.  If you mention to a resident that it's a nice day, you might well expect to receive a glare as if to say, "Yeah!  What were you expecting, Oobleck?" 

Here on an island stationed in the North Atlantic, we might on a summers day be basking on the deck in shorts and T shirt one hour and in the next, we could be rushing to close all the windows, tie down the deck furniture and gather up all small children so the wind doesn't blow them to the sea. 

In winter time, we have been known to get more than our fair share of snow too.  Keeping one's driveway cleared on a regular basis is a must.  But that can be a challenge if you have a 250 foot driveway as I do.  Shovelling that much snow by hand is both time consuming and exhausting.  With four strapping sons, I don't mind too much if it's not an everyday event.  But some winters we have been abundantly endowed.

Every so often I come across someone who in some way inadvertently gives me a little inspiration and maybe a chuckle too.  I had such an experience this past week when I connected on facebook with the brother of a friend of mine.  His name is Myron King.  While chatting with my new facebook friend, and looking over some of his photos, I discovered that Myron had a rather unique way of removing snow from his driveway.  He had acquired a piece of equipment which he affectionately calls the "Frankenplow".  I take it, the name suggests an unusual invention which has pushed the elements of innovation perhaps a little too far.    

The Frankenplow was made many years ago in Newfoundland by one of the locals of Conception Bay South.  Myron said it was a cross between an abandoned rail car and an old jeep.  He found himself so enamoured with the creature, that he couldn't resist buying it from the previous owner who had decided the time had come to upgrade to something from the industrial era, a truck. 

The Frankenplow  will move forward and reverse, turns gently with a wide swing and has a fully functional blade that can move a significant amount of snow.  This machine may not win an Oscar for best cinematography, but it does get the job done.  Its not licensed but is one machine that I would really appreciate owning after a heavy winter storm.  Unfortunately, there is only one in the world like it and I understand that it's not being sold anytime soon.

Myron is proud of his plow and graciously consented to me capturing these photos and sharing them with you.  I conclude again that "necessity is still the mother of invention".  A special thanks to Myron for willingly sharing the secret of his Frankenplow.   

R. Greg Osmond is a Platinum Award winning Realtor serving St. John's and surrounding areas, Newfoundland and Labrador for over 20 years and can be reached at 709-895-2500. Visit http://www.rgregosmond.com/for further information. Find him on facebook at R. Greg Osmond.