Made a lot of new friends yesterday. Gonna make more today.

RSKY · Mar 6, 2015

The snow plows haven't made it down our little road yet so I went out and used my CK20 to clear the road and drives in the neighborhood. Only vehicles out were four wheel drive pickups, jeeps, and Polaris Razors. Only ones that didn't need some help to get unstuck were me and the Polaris'. Some of the drifts are up to my fenders. Have to use the bucket to get down to where I can use the blade. Also used the bucket to get unstuck.

Have made a lot of new friends.

Everybody wanting to pay me to clear their drive. I tell them that I've been waiting four years for a snow to use my tractor in and I'm having fun. Then tell them if they try to pay I will pile more snow on their drives. So they laugh and start talking. Am going to try to get out and get everybody else's drives today.

Did I mention that I have a lot of new friends. Ashamed to admit it but I have talked to people for the first time who have lived within sight of my house for years. And I've never talked to them before. There are 56 houses on our road and the two side roads that branch out from it. During the storm a couple weeks ago and this one I have now talked to nearly half of the households in the neighborhood.

Now I'm thru patting myself on the back.

Helping people and having fun.

How much better could it get?

RSKY

Mendonsy · Mar 6, 2015

mddorange · Mar 6, 2015

That's great to hear. Reminds me of a New Years day in LaVista, NE, outside of Omaha, many years ago. It was very cold that morning and no one in the neighborhood's car would start. I had a manual transmission Chevy Malibu that I pushed while the wife popped the clutch to get it started. I also had a big Chevy Caprice station wagon that had a 69 Amp alternator, so I jumped it from the Malibu. We then went around the neighborhood with the Caprice and started every one else’s car. We met a lot of new friends that way and it paid big dividends in the future when some of them went out of their way to help us later.

Have fun and feel good.

texasjohn · Mar 6, 2015

Yes, good times! I know what you mean...on a small scale.

It's been misty and mucky for several days...top soil of slick clay is saturated. I drove down our road noonish couple of days ago and found a survey crew stuck in the ditch with a 4x4 pickup. They said help was on the way, but would be about an hour. Since it was only a mile from the house, I returned to the scene with my tractor. By this time, the rescue 4x4 pickup had arrived and chained up. BOTH 4x4's were having a fine time spinning 8 wheels and staying immobile.

I chained up and easily pulled the pickup out of the ditch. Embarrassed, but grateful they were. I've been helped a few times myself, glad to help!

Buppies · Mar 6, 2015

It is refreshing to read about the good things people do and not wanting anything in return. The last two snows we had older gentlemen who lived down the street needed his driveway cleaned so got in tractor rode down the road and cleaned it up for him. He was 92 and died two days later from a bad heart.

RSKY · Mar 6, 2015

Since I posted the first post......???? That doesn't sound right, but anyway. Got a call from a widow lady who lives the block over asking me if I could clear her drive. Said she would pay me. I told her I wouldn't do it if she tried to pay. She said she was because I cleared it the last time when she wasn't home. Anyway we argued a little and she finally started laughing. What impressed me was that she said she only had five and a half inches clearance on her car!! She had actually gone out to her garage and measured it.

Temp is up to 7, gonna wait until it hits 15 before I get out.

Oh yeah, and my nose is SUNBURNED from being out all day yesterday. Only part of me exposed.

Hmmm....gonna tell her payment will be a homemade apple pie. But it has to be hand picked local apples, not apples from Wal-Mart or a grocery.

That will make her laugh.

RSKY

RSKY · Mar 6, 2015

Buppies I am sorry about your neighbor. But you know he had to have kind thoughts of you when he died.

When my wife and I decided to retire one of the things we talked about was using our (relatively) young age to help people. So all the older neighbors that we knew got out cellphone numbers to call in an emergency. We routinely call older relatives to check on them and even organize lunch dates with all her aunts and uncles. Mine are all gone. We have done much needed repair work at our church building and the fellowship building. Don't want to sound like I'm bragging but it really gives you a good feeling to do good for people when nobody knows you are doing it.

I always tell people to pass it on.

I think I will tell the widow lady that my pay for clearing her drive is for her to call my wife and tell her I need a bigger tractor. She and my wife will get a kick out of that.

RSKY

Dutch445 · Mar 6, 2015

Have fun out there RSKY, it is great to do for others just because you want to help out.

when i was young, we had our old JD walk behind snowblower, and i made the rounds every storm
helping the neighbors with driveways. i enjoyed it, and apple pies and cookies were always fine for payment
and i turned money down, just trying to be a good neighbor. my 75 yr old mom is still out there doing
the driveways for those older folks! with the same old JD 524 blower!!!!!

AaronS · Mar 6, 2015

I had fun clearing both our and the neighbor's drives and barn yards yesterday too. What part of western KY are you in RS. I get down that way a time or two a year. Beautiful country.