Give thanks for snowplow drivers (and neighbors)

The recent snow, ice and cold weather present me with a new challenge when driving to work each day.

Instead of a quick five-minute drive to my office in downtown Moses Lake, I’ve been slowed down because of the snow.

But unmaintained roads aren’t the culprit here.

I blame myself for cramming too many tasks into such a short amount of time.

With the new snow developments, I weaved weather-watching in with my everyday tasks.

My morning starts when I look outside my living room window to see if the snow is falling.

At that point, my daughter Maria wants out of her crib and is calling for me to spring her free.

While carrying Maria, I walk to the kitchen, situate her in a highchair and make a pot of coffee. I pour myself a cup and make our breakfast.

Then I thaw out with my coffee, so to speak.

My efforts at weather watching are somewhat wasted.

No matter what the weather is doing, I must work. The news doesn’t take a snow day.

If my car is coated in a blanket of snow, I add another 10 minutes to my drive to clean the windows and warm up the inside of my Honda.

In the meantime, I check on my cat’s water dish in the garage.

Almost every morning last week, the water was frozen in her water dispenser.

Sometimes, I can break the ice in the bowl with a small stick.

Sometimes, it’s not possible.

If it was an especially cold night, I return to the inside of our home to run hot water through the dispenser and refill it with cold water.

Then finally, I step into my car and drive to work.

The tasks result in another 10 minutes tacked to my drive without pulling out of my driveway.

Household chores and weather watching aside, I’ve wondered if it’s safe to drive to work and if my car will get stuck.

So far, I’ve been lucky. Snow-drifted roads haven’t prevented me from missing work and getting where I need to go.

I think it’s a good time to give thanks to some unsung heroes: snowplow drivers, public and private.

I’m grateful the City of Moses Lake and state Department of Transportation are running their snowplows and taking care of the roads in my area.

Of course, the roads need plowed. But don’t forget about your driveway.

If your car’s blocked by snow, it doesn’t matter how clean the roads are.

One of my neighbors, Clay Crook, helps others by plowing driveways on our street and areas of the road.

My driveway was included on his “route” six years ago when I moved into the neighborhood.

It’s snowy days like today that make me thankful for good neighbors.

Lynne Lynch is the Columbia Basin Herald business and ag reporter. Her coworkers cheer her sentiments in this My Turn. She leads the charge in appreciation for snowplow drivers and wonderful neighbors.