The Snow Came, the Snow Blower Went

We had some snow today. I was planning to be the hero of the neighborhood. I revved up my 9 hp snow thrower (they don't call them "snow blowers" anymore), proceeded to clear around the house and started on our parking area, when what to my my wondering ears should hear, but a snap and, there it stood. It wouldn't go back and it wouldn't go fro. A cable governing the transmission had snapped. My neighbor, Rich, was able to help me determine that it was a spring that had broken. I had a box of springs in the cellar (how many people have a box of springs) and we were able to jury rig a fix, temporarily. I was then able to finish our parking area and four neighbors sidewalks. My next door neighbor is an FBI agent and as I was coming around to do his sidewalk, another neighbor, Mark, also an FBI agent, was ecstatic that I could do the sidewalk. I told him about the problem and he said that if anyone would have the tools and parts to fix it, it was me. (We must live in a dangerous neighborhood, since they have two agents living four houses apart.)

So we got the darn thing to work, but now I will have to figure out what to do for a permanent repair. After, extra super shoveling, repair work, etc., I decided that a Sunday afternoon party was in order, so I conjured up some snacks, a wee dram or two or three, listened to music and had a generally relaxing afternoon.