Blizzard!

Over night, our yard was iced with a thick layer of snow. When we ventured outside, we encountered thigh-deep drifts. On Monday, my husband had purchased a lawn tractor and plow from Craig's List, and today's snowfall gave us an excellent opportunity to test its snow-moving capabilities. It did indeed push snow; however, the snow was deeper than our plow and each portion of our quarter-mile driveway required several passes with the tractor before it was clear. Often, the tractor's wheels would spin furiously unable to find traction, despite the chains that encased them. To provide additional weight, I stood on the back edge of the tractor with my arms draped around my husband as he drove the machine. Between my husband, me, and the baby in belly, we were able to clear much of the drive. I certainly hope that my days of being a ballast are through. My back was sore from the doubled over position I assumed and the jerking I experienced from ramming snowbanks.

After much of our driveway was cleared, I returned inside to bake bread and finish cleaning my home. The bread was scrumptious - it had a good crust and pleasant taste. Best of all, it was a no-knead bread that required minimal effort. Yum.