The safest way to navigate around our property seems to be to sit down and push yourself along. I’ve become quite good at this new means of transportation and am feeling quite proud of my skills. That, of course, means it’s probably only a matter of time until I make a fool of myself! Meanwhile, do you think they’d consider adding a new Olympic event, Bottom Sledding?

The “Ice That Will Not Leave” has caused the same inconveniences here that the rest of you are putting up with as well. I parked at the top of a client’s driveway this week, put on the parking brake and was just about to exit the car when it began sliding backwards! Not being a complete idiot I decided that I’d drive back down and park on the road. That then left me with the task of walking back up the completely untouched driveway on shoes designed to impress business clients, not navigate icy terrain. Incredibly, I made it to the top without incident. I suggested to my clients that perhaps I should try “bottom sledding” to my car, but they appeared to believe I was joking. So, trying to maintain my dignity I picked my way back down (OK, skated in a completely undignified fashion!)

But the most interesting and challenging part of the ice storm has been some self-inflicted pain. We left ordering the next refill of heating oil a little longer than we should. And, consequently, the oil truck is now unable to navigate our driveway. If we hadn’t also happened to have now run out of oil it wouldn’t be a big deal. But we’ve reverted to a more pioneer lifestyle with the wood stove and fireplace now being our only sources of heat! There have been some other adjustments in our lifestyle as well. Our basement is now toasty warm and we’ve temporarily moved into the guest bedroom down there. The animals are a little curious as to the new arrangements but they’ve adjusted. I refuse to cook in my cold kitchen since the food becomes cold before you can get the fork to your mouth. So we’ve been eating frozen dinners and canned soups that don’t require much in the way of preparation. The first few days of this seems like an adventure. And by the time you read this no doubt the mid-week thaw will mean we have heat again. Meanwhile, it turns out that yesterday’s adventure quickly becomes today’s inconvenience!

And the other adventure that begins for all of us now is fighting the relocation of the Dominion Power line through Rappahannock County. I just hate being considered easy prey! It also seems to me all of us should be asking ourselves what we can do to conserve energy. While Dominion is certainly not running these lines through Rappahannock to serve our increasing needs for power, there’s clearly a case to be made that the more all of us in this country conserve, the less need there will be for these monstrosities to be built in anyone’s back yard!

And I received this from Peter and Valerie Little this week via e-mail:

Anyway - through your column could we yet again thank a veritable Amissville Snow Angel - who anonymously clears our driveway for us 

when the going gets rough.   This has happened before (we have one of 

those long, twisty Rappahannock drives with a gradient) and a snowfall does not make it very easy for us. Sometimes even 4-wheel driving does not cut it very comfortably or safely.

Once again this week our driveway was cleared - and, though one of us was at home, no-one was seen making this friendly and outright neighborly gesture. Can we thank who ever this was through your column? We live on Seven Ponds Road, and again, this sort of thing reiterates our road as being one of the best in Rappahannock County for neighborliness !!

I’d like to ask your help as I continue to try and profile some of our local businesses here in Amissville. If you have a local business and would like to be featured in these pages, please e-mail me or give me a call. I have to say it’s a lot of fun learning about all the local businesses!

And, if you’re in need of bottom sledding lessons, don’t forget to give me a call. You can start practicing by carrying oil drums in your lap and scooting up our driveway!