Homeowners: Start your engines! Winter is upon us
It’s already hit the Plains with a vengeance, and those of us living in the Midwest are bracing 
ourselves for its arrival. I’m talking about the first snowstorm of the season, and this one is a doozy. We know one is coming every year and yet it seems so many of us are surprised or caught unaware. Perhaps because we had such a mild November this year, we were hoping Mother Nature would forget all about ushering in winter.
Alas, she’s got a mind like a steel trap.
Kids seem to find pure delight in a snowstorm. They can hardly wait for that first snow day, which allows them 
unlimited time to be out in the thick of it, making forts, building snowmen and sledding. Funny how they painstakingly drag themselves out of bed on a “regular” school day, compared to the sense of urgency they display when donning their boots and snow gear. Their maxim: “Time’s a wasting, let’s go!”
As adults we can appreciate the beauty of freshly fallen snow. It can transform the barren limbs of trees and the browning grass into what appears to be a wintry fairyland. The reality is that it can also be a blatant message that there’s work to be done in removing a fair portion of it.
U.S. Postal workers, dog walkers, parcel delivery personnel and those darned dedicated runners/walkers are all expecting a clear path on which to carry out their jobs and avocations. Depending on where you live, it may be the law. Many cities have ordinances about shoveling driveways and sidewalks. You need to find out your responsibility in this area.
So check the viability of your snow shovel, stock up on sidewalk de-icer and make sure your snow blower is in top operating condition. In this way you’ll be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at you for the remainder of the season. Be careful and be safe!
TALK BACK: As a homeowner, what are you doing to prepare for the winter season? Post your comments below.
Posted by Sharon Walker
