Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it! Here in Vermont we’ve been praying for snow. Ever since the stretch of high temperatures in December we’ve been literally begging for snow. The Donomar Inn is located just three miles from Smugglers’ Notch Resort. You can see the slopes from our sun room while you enjoy breakfast. So, in the winter snow is crucial.

It started snowing Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, around 2am. It didn’t stop until, well, it still hasn’t really stopped. It’s been flurrying for days! It snowed so hard on Wednesday that my spouse, my oldest son and myself shoveled the walkways more than ten times. We tried to keep up with the snowfall because we had guests at the time. They checked out Wednesday morning only to call us in the afternoon to say they couldn’t drive because of the storm so could they come back. Of course we said yes.

On Thursday morning at 6:21am my plow guy called and said his plow trucks were both broke down so he wouldn’t be able to plow for us. What! After serving breakfast, I went out to start shoveling once again. By now the snow was over three feet deep! I attempted to get the snow blower going, but couldn’t. I just stood in the barn wondering how we would get the walks, driveway and parking cleared. I prayed for a miracle to get the snow blower started. I knew it would still be a ton of work snow blowing, but it beat shoveling. Suddenly I heard a plow truck in the driveway. I went out and a wonderful young man in the truck stopped plowing and yelled, “Hi, I’m your neighbor!” Prayer answered. Apparently my spouse saw him plowing down the road and ran down to ask him if he could help us out. He came right up and pushed as much snow as he could, but we soon realized there was just too much snow, especially after he got his plow truck stuck! At least he had cleared enough for our guests to get out. After he made a few phone calls, all of a sudden we heard a little bobcat bucket loader coming down the street. It was his younger brother. Once he freed his brother he moved a ton of snow out of the drive and walkways in no time. What a miracle these two young men were.

After they left, my son and I finished shoveling, but not before I got stuck in a snow bank. I was trying to reach the light for our sign and I fell into about 5 feet of snow. My son actually had to shovel snow from under one of my legs then pull me out! After that we decided to take a break and have something to eat. After lunch I started shoveling off the decks. We have three! The snow was about five feet deep! I finally gave up shoveling for the day, but because we had more guests coming in the next day I had to go grocery shopping. I was nearly paralyzed from shoveling, but off we went to shop. Luckily it had stopped snowing and I have a four-wheel-drive truck so we braved the roads.

On Friday the entire inn needed to be cleaned and beds made. Luckily most people weren’t going to check in until late, however, I had no idea how late. I was exhausted from two days of shoveling not to mention stiff and sore. The last guests checked in around 12:30am! I think I was finally in bed around one in the morning. Normally we have two breakfast seating’s, one at eight and one at nine. I was hoping, because of the late arrivals, everyone would pick the later breakfast time. Unfortunately, every one wanted an early breakfast so they could get on the slopes. No rest for the weary!

Saturday, after breakfast, was a day of rest. I was still stiff from shoveling all that snow, but our guests had the skiing day of a life time. Everyone was so excited when they got back at the end of the day. Luckily we were able to go to bed relatively early Saturday night, but all through the night I heard a drip from the third floor shingled roof onto the second floor tin roof, which is common and usually I love the sound. However, when the alarm went off Sunday morning I realized the drip was inside, not out! The water was pouring in to our third floor room from all the ice on the roof. There was actually over five feet of snow on all the roofs. So, after breakfast, I called our neighbor (my new best friend!) and asked him if he could come over and help me clear some of the snow. He came right over, but we couldn’t reach the third floor roof so that would have to wait. Luckily the leak stopped by Sunday night. We got up on the roof over the sun room and worked like crazy to clear all the snow. It was a start.

Monday morning I served breakfast to ten people. It was actually one of the most relaxing breakfasts we’ve had in a long time. Everything was so beautiful covered with fresh snow. As the guests were packing up to check out one came down to the kitchen and told me there was a leak in the second floor hallway. He hated to tell me because he knew how much snow clearing we had done already. In between checking people out, I went upstairs to check the leak. Yes indeed the roof was leaking! I got a bucket to catch the drip and of course I called my neighbor once again. He had to go to class that day but said he would come over Tuesday. I had to rent a 45 foot lift so he could get to the highest roofs. So, today, Tuesday, he worked for seven hours on that lift clearing the roofs of the house and barn. He even replaced some missing roof shingles on the third floor where it was leaking Saturday night!

So, even though we asked for snow, we had no idea we would be blessed with such a wonderful neighbor! Thanks Ben… you came to our rescue and saved our home and business!