When Old Man Winter comes calling on Carlene Drive, Carroll Howard and his Ford 860 tractor are always ready to move him out of the way.
Howard typically uses the tractor to plow gardens, but in the winter — or at least in winters that include notable accumulations of snow — he hooks a blade onto the front of it and clears the single-block, dead-end street.
kAm“xE’D ;FDE D@>6E9:?8 E@ 5@[” w@H2C5 E@=5 >6 uC:52J :? 2 A9@?6 :?E6CG:6H] “x’> C6E:C65[ 2?5 H96? D?@H DE@C>D 4@>6 :? =:<6 E92E[ x’> 8=25 E@ 96=A >J ?6:893@CD]”k^Am
kAm%96 DE@C> :? BF6DE:@? :D %F6D52J’D 5F>A @7 `_ E@ `a :?496D @7 D?@H[ @? E@A @7 E96 ?62C=J `_ :?496D E92E H2D 56A@DE65 52JD 62C=:6C] %F6D52J >@C?:?8[ s@=@C6D (@@=6CJ 42==65 E@ D66 :7 H6 H6C6 :?E6C6DE65 :? “2 ?:46 9F>2?\:?E6C6DE DE@CJ 23@FE E96 D?@H]” $:?46 2E E96 E:>6 x H2D E96 @?=J ?6HDC@@> 6>A=@J66 H9@ H2D 23=6 E@ >2<6 :E :? E@ E96 s6>@4C2E W92G:?8 DE2J65 2E w@E6= q@E9H6== 2D 2 AC642FE:@? — 2 =6DD@? =62C?65 7C@> E96 a_`` $?@HA242=JAD6 — 2?5 H2=<:?8 :?X[ x E@=5 96C x H@F=5 92G6 E@ 86E 324< E@ 96C =2E6C :? E96 H66<]k^Am
kAm~? uC:52J[ (@@=6CJ D2:5 6G6CJ E:>6 :E D?@HD[ w@H2C5 “A=@HD E96 DEC66E 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ =:G6D @? C@25[ E96? 96 4=62CD D@>6 @7 E96 5C:G6H2JD]k^Am
kAm“p =@E @7 FD @FE 96C6 2C6 @=56C @C C6E:C65j H6 42?’E 86E @FE 2?5 5@ :E[” D96 D2:5] “qFE 6G6CJ E:>6 :E D?@HD[ 96 :D 96=A:?8 D@>63@5J]”k^Am
kAmw@H2C5 D2:5 36:?8 3@C? 2?5 C2:D65 @? 2 72C>[ 9:D 24E:@?D 4@>6 ?2EFC2==J]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ;FDE H92E J@F 5@] (6 ?665 E@ 96=A 6249 @E96C[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmr2C=6?6 sC:G6[ @77 @7 $@FE9 (2D9:?8E@? pG6?F6 D@FE9 @7 ba?5 $EC66E[ :D @FED:56 E96 4:EJ =:>:ED] w@H2C5 D2:5 H96? 962G:6C D?@H72==D 9:E[ “:E E2<6D 2 H66<” 367@C6 4@F?EJ 4C6HD 42? 86E E@ :E]k^Am
kAm“(6 ?665 E@ <66A E96 C@25 @A6?[” 96 D2:5] “x7 2? @=56C A6CD@? 86ED D:4<[ 2? 6>6C86?4J G69:4=6 H:== ?665 E@ 86E :? 96C6]”k^Am
kAm(@@=6CJ D2:5 56DA:E6 ?6:893@CD’ @776CD[ w@H2C5 ?6G6C H:== 2446AE 2?JE9:?8 :? C6EFC? 7@C E96 A=@H H@C<]k^Am
kAm“(6 2D< 9:>[ ‘r2? H6 8:G6 J@F D@>6 >@?6Jn’ w6 2=H2JD D2JD[ ‘*@F 5@?’E @H6 >6 2?JE9:?8[’ ” D96 D2:5] “*@F D66 A6@A=6 8@ @FE 2?5 5@ :E E@ >2<6 >@?6J[ 3FE 96 5@6D?’E] w6 5@6D :E 3642FD6 96 H2?ED E@ 36 96=A7F= 2?5 x ;FDE E9:?< :E :D H@?56C7F=]”k^Am
kAmw@H2C5 2?5 9:D H:76[ {:?52[ 2=D@ 9@DE 2 4@FA=6 @7 ?6:893@C9@@5 82E96C:?8D 6249 J62C[ 2 A:4?:4 2?5 2? :46 4C62> D@4:2=]k^Am
kAm“%96J 2C6 8@@5 7C:6?5D H:E9 2== @7 FD @? r2C=6?6[” (@@=6CJ D2:5] “xE’D ?@E E92E E96J’C6 ?@DJ[ E96J’C6 ;FDE 7C:6?5=J]”k^Am
kAm$96 D2:5 E96 86E\E@86E96CD AC@G:56 @AA@CEF?:E:6D E@ >66E ?6H C6D:56?ED 2?5 6?DFC6 “6G6CJ3@5J 86ED E@ <?@H 6G6CJ3@5J]”k^Am
kAm(@@=6CJ 92D =:G65 @? E96 DEC66E D:?46 `hg_] (96? D96 >@G65 :?[ E96 w@H2C5D H6C6 BF:4< E@ :?EC@5F46 E96>D6=G6D]k^Am
kAm“*@F 5@?’E D66 E92E 2?J>@C6[” D96 D2:5] “%96J 92G6 H2E4965 2== >J <:5D 8C@H FA[ 2?5 E96J 2D< 23@FE E96> 2== E96 E:>6] ]]] (6 5@ E92E 96C6[ 6G6CJ3@5J H2E496D @FE 7@C 6G6CJ3@5J 6=D6 96C6]”k^Am
kAmw@H2C5 H2D DA6?5:?8 uC:52J =6?5:?8 2 92?5 282:? — E9:D E:>6 E@ 72>:=J] w:D 52F89E6C[ |:496==6 $2?53@E96[ 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 #@5?6J =:G6 :? q@@?G:==6 2?5 92G6 366? H:E9@FE A@H6C D:?46 %F6D52J] $@ w@H2C5 DA6?E E96 52J H2E49:?8 9:D 8C2?5D@?[ w2J56?[ c]k^Am
kAm“x 9@A6 E96J 86E :E 324< @? E@52J @C E@>@CC@H[” w@H2C5 D2:5] “xE’D ?@E >:D6C23=6 4@=5[ 3FE 2 9@FD6 86ED 4@=5 H:E9@FE 962E] x’> 8=25 :E H2D?’E K6C@ W568C66DXj E92E 4@F=5 92G6 366? AC6EEJ 325]”k^Am
kAm(6 962C5 2 =@E @7 8C:A:?8 E9:D H66< 7C@> A6@A=6 H9@ H6C6 42F89E FA :? E96:C A6CD@?2= :?4@?G6?:6?46D] $@ 2 A=@H =67E D@>6 563C:D H96C6 J@F ;FDE D9@G6=65n x’> E9:?<:?8 72>:=:6D =:<6 E96 $2?53@E96D 56D6CG6 >@C6 A:EJ E92? J@F 5@]k^Am
kAmw@H2C5 H2?E65 E@ D92C6 E96 4C65:E 7@C 9:D H:?E6C H@C<[ DEC6DD:?8 E92E @?46 96 8@6D FD6D E96 A=@H @? 2 5C:G6H2J[ s2G6 rC2>6C 2?5 9:D D@?[ {F<6[ “8@ :? 2?5 D9@G6= ’6> @77]” w6 D2:5 {:?52 96=AD @FE[ E@@[ 3FE D96 5:DAFE65 E92E A@:?E 7C@> E96 324<8C@F?5[ AC@G:?8 >@56DEJ CF?D :? E96 72>:=J]k^Am
kAmw@H2C5 C6E:C65 7C@> p=42? r23=6 7@FC J62CD 28@ D@ 96 EC:6D “E@ DE2J 24E:G6” 5@:?8 E9:?8D =:<6 A=@H:?8 D?@H 2?5 82C56?D] $E:==[ 96 5:D>:DD6D 9:D 24E:@?D 2D ;FDE 5@:?8 “2 ?6:893@C9@@5 E9:?8]”k^Am
kAm“xE’D :? J@FC 3=@@5[” 96 D2:5] “x7 J@F H6C6 C2:D65 FA E92E H2J[ J@F <?@H :E :D E96 C:89E E9:?8 E@ 5@]”k^Am
kAmk^Am
