In my last column I mentioned a guy leaving Bomgaars with a new shovel he had just purchased, and the thought had occurred to me that it was a little late in the season for a new shovel. Boy, was I wrong!
It seems I find myself in the market for a new shovel even this late in the snow-shoveling season.
Not unlike you, I too have done more shoveling of the white stuff than I have in the past year or two, maybe three, combined.
Not saying it’s age — and I am not talking about the shovel here — but my ability to handle a full shovel load of snow seems to have diminished a bit. The light stuff, no problem, but the heavier stuff this past weekend made me realize size does matter.
Snow shovels like everything else these days come in way too many options. You have to consider plastic, metal, wide, narrow, long-handled, short-handled, curved, flat or even the old-fashioned scoop shovel. The last-mentioned, by the way, would have been the best option for clearing the end of the driveway after the plow went by this past Sunday morning.
We currently have two plastic curved shovels at the Peterson house.
We have the papa bear size for me and the mama bear size for Mary. For some reason it’s the papa bear shovel that needs to be replaced due to wear and tear.
Personally, this papa bear prefers plastic over metal and curved over straight. What it really boils down to is size.
As I ponder the purchase of a new shovel, thought of keeping my Man Card in good standing starts to play a role in the decision-making process.
Just last fall I downsized my shotgun selection for the hunting season based on the weight of the gun. The lighter gun was easier to carry in the field.
That said, it’s time for me to man up and buy the papa bear-sized shovel at least one more time.