Doing my version of King Canute

From Wikipedia:

Excerpt: Canute is legendary for his apparent attempt to "hold back the tide". Canute deliberately placed his throne on the beach and used his evident inability to order the tide to roll back to display to his courtiers the limitations of a king's power to command the seas.


The way I remembered old Canute was as a foolish king who tried to command the unhearing sea to hold back the tide.

Regardless, the remembered version is what I was imitating yesterday and part of today after work, my version of old King Canute's futile efforts against Mother Nature.

In my case, it was digging/shoveling a path through the snow starting yesterday morning, after I'd gone over it with the snow thrower to get rid of the soft stuff. Why you ask? Well to clear a path to the main roads which are plowed by the city and thereby suitable (once things melt a bit) for riding on with my motorcycle of course!

My neighborhood streets though, even though I'd cleared a path out of the cul-de-sac, remained snow-chocked/packed yesterday and this morning and so I rode the cage to work. Just as well since the parking lot at work was also a sea of frozen snow and ice!

I came home earlier than usual, hoping that the sun and temps in the 30s had cleared my neighborhood streets but that was a no go as I neared home. Still evident were wide patches of packed snow mixed with ice. The rest of the neighborhood street surfaces had lots of ice particles and such which would have made it "hazardous" to try and venture out on the motorcycle even for a short ride. The main roads, as expected, were dry enough but I could not get to them on the motorcycle!

So, I set about clearing the sidewalk of the remaining snow/ice since it led to a navigable main road called South Ireland Street. I spent the rest of the time clearing the drainage channels for the streets so that the melted snow would drain away faster.

Around 4PM, I could have gotten out but then it was close to sunset and the onset of freezing of the melted snow/ice of the day. Probably not a good idea.

We're expecting, according to the weather-guessers, 2-4 inches of snow in the metro area. So yes I cleared paths but snow will cover them by morning. At least the snow won't cover refrozen ice/snow and perhaps it'll melt faster and also allow me to clear it all away easier with the snow thrower tomorrow morning!

Here's hoping!

Global Warming my left buttock!