Saturday, February 02, 2008

Digging Out



The storm is over, and we're digging out this morning. I don't know how early Good Neighbour got out to attend her good deeds, but it must have been hours before I stuck my head out the door. I'm sure she cleared many driveways before she got to ours, ours being the end of her circle of goodwill. While I shovelled the walkway to the front door, she blew out my drive. I should say our drive, for we share a driveway with the neighbour in the white jacket. There were all sorts of us out there this monring, the guy you see across the street and many others, including the Un-Selfless Neighbour with the tractor and plow. He still just takes care of his own self and nobody else.

I had prepared a picture of him on his tractor, but I couldn't find my saved version and figured that The Universe was telling me to go easy in my judgements, so I'll back off a bit. However, such apparent unselflessness tends to anger me, and I was trying to figure out why because it has no bearing on my life or shouldn't. Maybe it's because I expect more of a guy in my age cohort who's lived long enough or should have lived long enough to learn a bit about life and develop some sense of otherness. While I don't know the guy and can't judge about the rest of his life, I am highly suspicious that it is more of the same, and I see it as a sad waste. I think that's what makes me angry, the notion of wastedness.

But I'll leave that and not mention it again because it's fruitless speculation that benefits no one. However, I will leave you with this picture. Do you know what it is? I'll tell you below.


It's simply a photo of snow and tire tracks on the road, run through a few filters. what can I say? It was something to play around with. I think I'll have to postpone my first artistic photos exhibition for ... indefinitely.

6 comments:

ChrisB said...

Hoorah for good neighbour. Although it must get a bit tedious having to do this so often, those machines look like fun!

Donna said...

Maybe the "bad" neighbor is just extremely shy?? Has anyone approched him? How sad...let me at him!!LOLOL He'll be begging to clean your drive after I finish with him...lolol..WHAT??!! Of COURSE I'd be very kind!!

dabrah said...

I was looking at Donna's blog and saw your comment about snow, so had to come and have a look. We've been promised snow here again and again, and each time it snows for about 3 seconds and then stops. Yesterday was the same, the papers are full of how everyone is frozen in here and there, and the sun has been shining brightly for the last two days (except for the 3 second flurry of snow). Your unselfless neighbour might offer to clear everyone's drive if you ask if you can rent his tractor.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

Perhaps you have a future as a forensic photographer with some CSI crew. Keep pointing it at the evidence. Where are the snow tires: those tread marks look like all season radials.

You always get more snow than we do. I don't wait for my neighbour to clear it. I just tramp it down.

Your tardiness getting out to clear snow may be giving your age away. "You know you are getting old when you pause in the face of heavy lifting long enought to let some young fit person to do it." Works for me, my days of being the first one in on a tough task are over.

Anonymous said...

Your picture shows the side of snow that I love. The romantic in me would love to get the entire family wrapped up and out there, digging and playing.
You are blessed with one good neighbour... the second may take time but I'm sure eventually he will see the benefits of sharing his good fortune or super tractor power in this case. :o)
Stay warm all!

Cathy said...

Wow. Now that's SNOW. And those machines are awesome. It's interesting that all it takes is a snowstorm to reveal our neighbor's inclinations. You're lucky to have such a good neighbor.