BLIZZARD COMES TO TOWN: A True Story of Joy, Determination, and Hope

March 5, 2025

Cowboy Greg went to bed last night feelin' a little anxious. The weather forecasters on the picture box said a blizzard was a-comin'. To Cowboy Greg, a blizzard has both positive and negative implications. The positives include a beautiful white landscape and the promise of an honest mornin' of hard work while doin' his second favorite wintertime activity. The negative was that he might not be able to do his first favorite wintertime activity.

Of course, Cowboy Greg has heard blizzard promises on the 10:00 news before, only to wake up to major disappointment. That might be why he couldn't fall asleep for what seemed like hours. Once he did fall asleep however, it was six hours of uninterrupted sleep. Being an OLD cowpuncher, he usually has to get up sometime during the night to pee. Not last night.

When he finally woke up, he looked out his bathroom window. He was overjoyed to see the blizzard predictions actually came true this time. The strong winds had blown the snow into the screen such that he could hardly see outside.

His first view was obscured by snow, so Cowboy Greg moved on to another window that didn't have a screen.

Lookin' out on the back porch, Cowboy Greg saw a white winter wonderland.

From there, he dashed to the front door for another look at the white world outside. There was a snowdrift against the door, so he had to push pretty hard to get out. Once he stepped onto the stoop, the following photo shows what he saw.

Cowboy Greg commenced to shovelin'. It's his second favorite wintertime activity, ergo the smile.

The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong waited while Cowboy Greg shoveled.

Unfortunately, the roads were unbikeable. The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong had to be patient. "I hope the snowplows will be coming," thought the bike, "otherwise it will take Cowboy Greg several weeks to shovel the city streets by hand."

Cowboy Greg enjoyed his hardest shovelin' workout in at least two years. The snow was abundant, and it was heavy. Alas, he was as sad as The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong about not bein' able to get out for his #1 favorite wintertime activity.

But then a divine inspiration from the Church of the Great Outdoors came to our cowboy hero. He determined he could clear enough snow off the bottom of his driveway to conduct a mini-criterium. A few laps around the circuit would be proof of Cowboy Greg's claims about ridin' almost every day no matter what the weather condition. Plus, it would be a great opportunity to show off. So he made a video for his Cycleblaze journal.

Cowboy Greg was hopeful the snow plows would come by soon after his criterium ride. Then he could head out onto the streets for some SERIOUS bragging. Alas, the plows didn't arrive until a couple hours later--after he was already in relaxation mode.

The Ersatz Cowboy might be a little sore tomorrow after all that shovelin'. He can already feel it in his upper back and hip muscles. If you're lucky, his brain muscles will be too sore to write another post as lame as this one.

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Kelly IniguezI hardly dare say anything to you about riding in the snow, given I think you have more experience. I will hesitate a bit before offering - back in my hard core commuting days in Colorado, I preferred riding in fresh snow as it wasn't slippery. Have you tried it?
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3 weeks ago

Bill ShaneyfeltYou got the outrigger reflex going! Good job. I love to ride in fresh snow! As long as it isn't so deep the rear drive break loose and spins too much to make progress. Hard winter this year in Dayton. One week it was too deep and the cold never let up. The next week, the freeze thaw cycle made riding a real challenge. The next week had a couple nice days that melted everything off, and then we got about 4-5 inches and more cold with just enough thaw at first to make the ATV swerves treacherous and the walker footprints horribly jarring. Looks like anything from here on out will only be temporary.
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3 weeks ago

Gregory GarceauTo Kelly IniguezOh yes, fresh snow is the best, as long as it isn't too deep.
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3 weeks ago

Nancy GrahamWell done on your mini crit! Those are sharp turns to stay on ‘track’ and you did it well. The snow is beautiful and so glad you like shoveling it!!
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3 weeks ago

Mark BinghamIf I ain't mistaken, them shoes you're wearin' look like Sorels, the Midwestern equivalent of Southern cowboy boots because everybody wears them - for good reason. You really are a Tough Guy.
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3 weeks ago

Suzanne GibsonWelcome sweet springtime!
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3 weeks ago

Gregory GarceauTo Mark BinghamYou ain't mistaken. Them there boots are indeed Sorels--the best footwear on the planet for shovelin' after a heavy snowfall. You have a sharp eye. You also have a sharp wit. I like your analogy, but I'm going to modify it slightly to fit my journal--Sorels : Minnesota :: Cowboy boots : Kansas.
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3 weeks ago

Gregory GarceauTo Suzanne GibsonI'm hoping a true springtime isn't too far off. At least the snow from our blizzard is starting to melt.
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3 weeks ago