Rockaway Park street, 7:10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2011
So Punxsutawney Phil did his work! At 7:25 a.m. on Tuesday, February 2, 2011, he did NOT see his shadow, and predicted an early Spring. Phil was better off than the rest of us…he didn’t have to clean off his car first. He also didn’t have to walk down an icy sidewalk to get to the opening of his burrow!
The hyper-hyper local news prediction from Rock Viv is that we won’t be able to get anywhere for at least a few hours, even though the NYC schools are officially open today. The header photo above was taken at 7:10 a.m. in Rockaway Park, just after the first salt spreader of the daylight hours made its way down the street. There were three cars following the salt spreader…
There was a ghostly calm this morning between 6 and 7 a.m. No cars had gone down the block yet (VERY rare– it’s a pretty busy street, as Rock Park goes). I sprinkled a container of household salt on the front steps so I’d be able to walk down them to get to my car in the driveway. After about 20 minutes of effort, I was able to clear only one side window and the rear window (assisted by the defogger). I gave up and came back in the house.
Good luck trying to get around without falling on your a–! I already slipped over six times yesterday as I went about my local business rounds. Just picture yourself trying to squeeze between the drifts as you’ve been doing for the past month. Add in the sight of all the melting snow that has filled the gutters since it warmed up last week. If you could leap over the drifts and the water yesterday, you were getting around ok. Now picture yourself doing it today–except every inch is covered in slick ice…
Good luck to one and all!
Oy Vey Rockaway 
Thanks for a good article and a smile. A long resident of the upper Midwest, I feel your pain about the glories of winter. Never mind that it lasts half the year, this one has been a real doozy. Many times this year I have thought about getting into the snow plow business and buying that salt spreader as well! Sure would be a money maker this year! Thanks again!
I enjoyed reading your comment, JFCost. I have friends from Minnesota who always said they have only three seasons out there–fall, winter and road repair! I’ve read about equipment they have in Minnesota that melts the snow and recovers the salt slurry so it can be re-sprayed on the roads and less of it goes into the storm drains and waterways! That seems to be the future of sustainable snow and ice removal.
I once tried a rather expensive, corn-based product that you spray on your sidewalks to melt snow naturally, but I guess it didn’t take off since it only works within a narrow band of air temperature (can’t be too cold outside), and you have to time the application to precede snow and ice, which is tricky. Also, I guess it’s tough to justify deploying edible food products for snow removal. Football fans and teenagers would go bonkers if there were any talk of confiscating the U.S. potato chip supply every winter, to crush it and use it as a replacement for road salt! Even if that would be a brilliant way to indirectly attack the problems of high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease…
Thanks for reading my blog. Rock Viv
is it possible it’s over?
I mean, I’ve seen a blizzard on St. Patrick’s day…
but still…almost feels hopeful…spring is coming?
Hi, Frogma!
Yesterday sure felt like winter was over, but NOT YET! Bundle up if you go out this weekend. I hope all my readers will get a chance to look at your great photos and writing at http://www.frogma.blogspot.com. I had read about Duke Riley’s adventures trying to board the Queen Mary, but didn’t know he was the artist selected for the project involving the Rockaway transit stations. Thanks for filling me in!
Rockaway Vivian