The snow banks are nearing critical mass.

Most of last week I didn't do much outside.  It is kind of nice to be able to see when I get home, but it has been cold and windy.  While tightening up the house made a difference in how often the heat was running, I still had weird things like excessive static.

I did some clearing and puttering around on the tractor over the weekend.  The snowbanks seem to have hit critical size.  I am no longer able to pile them higher, they are taller than the bucket on my tractor will go.  I have also hit the point where I can no longer knock the top off by rotating the bucket, the pile is getting too deep now.  

The bottom of the driveway is a solid sheet of ice.  Even in 4WD the truck spins going up the driveway now if I stop when I turn in to get my mail.  

I cleared the whole thing, even though it wasn't really deep.  The last storm was only a couple of inches of fluffy light snow.  We are supposed to get more during the day and tonight though, so I wanted to clear as much as possible.  This storm is only a few inches, I will probably only clear the slab and the apron. 

Using the rear blade has chewed up the driveway a little bit.  Still faster and easier than the snowblower though.  Since it chopped through the ice in a few spots though, I will have to use caution if I use the snowblower anymore this winter since it will pick up rocks that the blade has deposited on the ice at this point.  

I noticed something when I was doing the top.  I normally flip the blade around and push it, but something happened and the chain for the pin that swivels the blade is stuck in one of the holes.  I tried to pull it out, but didn't have any success.  I would rather not have to cut the chain (it keeps you from losing the pin), but if that is what it comes to, I might have to.  

I did the top with the blade the other way and it appeared to work fine though, probably because it wasn't much.  

Sunday I went out showshoeing and went up by the rock cliff near the edge (I unfortunately forgot my phone inside).  I only lost the snowshoes once, which isn't bad considering going up steep inclines in snowshoes doesn't frequently work well.  I am off this Wednesday afternoon, so maybe I will go visit Goose Pond or something.  Or perhaps I will work on the shed windows; it is supposed to be really nice (40s and sunny).