Driveway Dilemma

As I type this, we have about 6 inches of snow covering the ground with more coming down every minute. For those of you in MN, that's nothing, I'm sure. But for us here in southern Ohio, it's cause for multiple days of school closing, numerous accidents on the roads, and talk of the end of the world. I think it is really pretty, with the wind blowing around the fat flakes. But as beautiful as it is, it may cause a big problem for us.

Once again, for the third year in a row, we can't get up the driveway.

Before we moved here, Eric assured me winters in Ohio were mild. Often he'd call home from Ohio in February saying he was enjoying t-shirt weather while we froze in MN. But for some reason, these past winters that we've lived here have been some of the worst that anyone can remember.

Still, the winters are incredibly mild compared to MN. Except for the driveway situation.

Our driveway is long and very, very steep. When we bought the house (in summer), we both remarked that a driveway like this would be an impossible nightmare in MN, but since Ohio has such pleasant winters, it wouldn't be an issue.

Only it is.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining. Last year we couldn't get up the driveway for a month. We would park at the bottom and trudge up, always remembering to wear winter boots and bring a sled. Grocery days were particularly adventuresome. We would pile kids and food on the sled and make many trips pulling it up (usually one of us stayed with the kids in the house). On the way down, I would sit in the sled myself and slide down the driveway, which was safer and way more fun. It was a terrific exercise program and the constant fresh air did us a world of good. I only wish our hot water heater wouldn't have stopped working during that same month. For that month, we lived a bit pioneer-ish as we trudged in snow towing groceries on a sled, only to have to come home to a night of boiling water for baths and laundry. But we have good memories of toughing it all out together.

But this year's dilemma may be a bit too much to tough out.

Here's what's going on. We have a lot of snow. No hope in sight of getting up the hill anytime soon (since we have below freezing weather and more snow predicted). And a rapidly depleting supply of propane. Propane that's needed to heat our home when the weather dips below about 35 degrees.

We also have a heat pump to warm up the place, but that only works down to a certain point (about 35 degrees). After that, the "back-up" heat, which is propane, kicks in. I say "back-up", because under normal Appalachian circumstances, that heat source would be used rarely. These past few winters, it's been used often.

Our propane tank normally gets filled up before it gets below about 20%. So a truck should be arriving within the week to fill it up. Only problem is that truck probably won't be able to make it up the driveway (our tank is at the top of the hill). And if it can't make it up, it can't fill it up. And if it doesn't get filled up, then...I don't know, but I'm REALLY hoping we won't have to find out.

In the meantime, we plan on turning down the heat a few degrees (though with a baby, we can only go so low), starting fires in the fireplace, and using a space heater. I keep thinking of the story in the Bible of the woman who's oil jars miraculously remained full long after they logically should have been empty. Maybe that will happen with our propane, maybe not. Either way, this is a fantastic opportunity to really test our faith and trust in our providential God, Who ALWAYS provides, though not always how we expect.

And I'll just be thankful that at least we still have hot water. For now.