The Sandman

Or more accurately, the sandpeople. But not like the “Star Wars” kind. Let me explain.

This year (haha, it’s only Jan. 10) has been a rough one for ice. There have been a lot of storms that have ended with rain, which packs the snow down and it eventually turns into ice. That’s bad news for anyone with a long driveway like us.

And, because we don’t yet own a sand/salt spreader, it also means we hand-sand when it’s icy. This is one of the least enjoyable aspects of living far off the main road. Often, Jeff is left to sand the whole driveway on his own, but this time, I got to help. Yay.

Hand-sanding goes like this:

Put on many layers of clothes, even though you’re probably going to soak them all in sweat. (Note below another of my Christmas presents this year — a fashionable pair of insulated overalls. Highly recommend, I love them!)

Get sand.
Use a spade to spread the sand by flinging it onto the ice, making sure to twist your spade mid-arc so it doesn’t end up in a huge clump (which still happens sometimes anyway).
Try not to fall on the ice because you forgot to put sand down where you are standing.
Get in the truck and move it 10 feet.
Toss more sand.
Again, try not to fall because you’ve moved to a spot that hasn’t been sanded yet.
Move truck; more sand. Repeat.
Run out of sand; get more.
Repeat until entire driveway is passable. In four-wheel drive.
Sob uncontrollably when it proceeds to snow another six inches and cover up all of your hard work.