Stuck in the Snow

As I may or may not have mentioned I am currently house sitting. Not for the same family earilier this year but instead a new family. This time instead of a dog, I am caretaker of a cat as she needs a daily pill for a thyroid problem.

The house I’m at is a dream house with a fantastic view—from what I can tell, I’ve never seen the view in daylight as it’s dark when I leave for work and dark after I’m home—but the lights below look pretty. Since the house has a view it is also at a higher elevation. Higher than my normal host home, and the switchbacks are steep…steeper than my normal host home.

On any normal day my car (named “Bessy”) can make it up just fine. She had troubles initially the first time up because we had received an 8 inch dump. This morning I awoke to 6 or so inches of snow. I brushed off my car as usual and then made my way out the driveway.

Bessy needs a rest until Jim arrives.

It doesn't look that deep but with the steep grade it's deep enough

A side note about the driveway—it’s steep! Like I would guess 15% grade possibly 20%. So this morning I tried but Bessy was spinning her tires and not going anywhere. I backed up and tried to get a running start, but same thing.

I called Pastor to let him know my situation and then I called Jim—a neighbor and congregation member. Jim also does the snow removal at this house while I’m housesitting. So sure enough in 10 minutes Jim arrived with his pick-up truck, complete with chains on his tires. Jim would plow later in the day but it was still dark and he wanted to wait for daylight.

Hooking up the rope-still dark at 9:45am

Jim then hooked up a tow rope to my car and pulled me out of the driveway. From there it was a steep commute down the mountain. I did the neighborhood a favor and plowed all the way down as Bessy hangs low to the ground. I made it to church only an hour late. Not bad considering. Just another day in Alaska.