I once vowed (to no one in particular) that I would never buy a snowblower. For one thing, all the models I’ve seen are awfully expensive. For another, given Ohio’s trend toward warmer winters, it wouldn’t be used often enough to justify its cost. And finally, I didn’t want to admit I might someday be unable to do the job of shoveling snow off my driveway. But times change. Bodies grow older, frailer and driveways don’t shorten to accommodate them. Moreover, as I watched the first heavy snowfall of 2019 come down about a month ago, I realized there are so many other things I’d rather be doing than shoveling snow.

So I broke down and bought a Craftsman snowblower about three weeks ago. It was the less expensive of two models available at the local hardware store, yet at $516 is was hardly cheap. The thing operates much like a lawnmower. You add gas to a fuel tank, move a choke bar, push in a primer three times, and then pull a starting rope. Before doing any of these things, you’re encouraged to read the operator’s manual and follow common sense safety instructions, such as don’t light a match by the gas tank, don’t stick your hand into the augur blades, and don’t even start the snowblower if you’re drunk.

Once the machine’s engine is going, there’s not much more to do except push the snowblower forward and clear your driveway. Oh, there is one other task: you have to adjust the spout so the blown snow will shoot out beyond your driveway. The first time I used the snowblower, I didn’t do this and ended up throwing snow from the right side of the driveway to the center where it had to be disposed of again. I eventually learned that the spout can be adjusted to shoot the snow farther from or closer to your driveway. It can also be shifted to the right or left, which also helps you avoid shooting snow onto spaces you’ve already cleared.

So far, I’ve used the snowblower three times with at least partial success. The first time was after a light snowfall; I knew that if I couldn’t start the thing or operate it effectively, a snow shovel would still get the job done. Speaking of the snow shovel, we’ll be keeping ours. That’s because a section of our driveway near the garage has been pushed upward by tree roots and the uneven stones night damage the snowblower’s augur blades. (The augur blades are what pull the snow off the driveway. See? I’m already on the way to becoming an expert snowblower operator.)