Frazz by Jef Mallett for December 16, 2024

Anyone here from the tip of the mitten? I hear they got 5 inches of snow, followed by rain. followed by freezing temps. How did that go?

Dunno, it was 70 and sunny today in San Diego. I don’t think my horse has ever seen snow

I have to take the generator in to get it cleaned and furbished. Maybe THIS year it will pay off (again). Snow blowers aren’t a thing here… but LEAF blowers are a terrifically noisy nuisance.

We’re getting snow right now. I expect a couple of inches. No big deal but enough to give me an excuse to skip the gym this morning.

Of course fire it up for a half-inch accumulation. That way, if it fails to fire up, you get a chance to fix it before the really bad stuff hits.

Half inch turns into a lot more after the plow fills in your driveway and it freezes.

I sort of had a similar problem with lawn mowers over the years. Have found that there are gasoline additives that keep fuel “fresh” for a long time. They start up very quickly now.

I do not miss snow, not even half an inch! The best snow is on the mountains…in the distance!

At 76, I chose condo living. No mow, no snow removal for me any more. If I have a heart attack, I want to go out having fun!

Frazz doesn’t understand why a middle-aged man doesn’t want to shovel snow.

Hey, I bought this darn snowblower and gosh darn it, I’m going to use it!

Fire one up. I’ll be back.

Might as well fire it up and make sure it is working before you really need it. We got about an inch last week, and around 4 inches 2 weeks ago. Mid-Michigan area

The year my sisters and I got our Dad a snow blower, he cleared the sidewalk, the driveway and the yard!

The first snow with enough ground accumulation for the snow blower to work is probably the best time to fire up the device and make sure everything is working. Even if the blower may be over kill and not the most efficient way of clearing the snow. Better find out the blower needs a new cog or widget when it’s only 1 inch of accumulation than when it’s 6 inches.

Kid, Dad’s back has several positions that can cause a bit of pain, i.e., sitting slumped in tv chair and suddenly standing up, hoisting a blower or similar equipment after years of little exercise, or having Mom mention cleaning out the garage. How do I know? o-o-o-o-w-c-h!!

My hot rodded snowblower got tuned up, oil changed, new belts and test run in September. Why, you may ask? Because I spent many years in small engines, when everyone brought snowblowers in at the first snow for a no start. They shut it off in February and shoved it in the garage, why won’t it start now?

Air, fire, fuel. Unless you’re using an electric rig of some sort.

I shoveled our driveway Friday after it snowed. We had closer to full inch, but I didn’t mind.

So, Frazz, how many people fire up their snownblowers for a bit of snow?

Here’s a clue, kid. Backs can “fire up” even if you haven’t been sitting around a lot. Our ancestors weren’t as bipedal as we are, and we’re still feeling the evolutionary effects of having learned to walk upright thousands of years ago.

Thankfully, I live down near the elbow.