Ode to a Plow Guy

plow guy
Roger plows the Valentine’s Day Storm 2007

I had a plow guy, and I have to admit I took him for granted. When it snowed, he plowed. When it snowed hard, he plowed twice.

His name was Roger. During the mega storm of February 2007, he backdragged enough of our driveway in the middle of the night to allow me to get safely off the road. Then he came back in the morning with his tractor. He dug it all out, and then came back again with the plow to clean it up — all included in his price of $35 per storm.

Once he pulled me out of a jam with his truck and a chain, and wouldn’t take a dime. He said “I’m pulling you out of the snowbank because you’re my neighbor, not because I’m your plow guy.”

Roger had a big beautiful Ford pickup with a sweet plow rig on it. He did a meticulous job —plowing exactly what was necessary, and nothing else. He never plowed our stone into the grass, he never plowed the snow above our waterline, and he never hit our trees.

But the real beauty of Roger was that he got it. He understood us. He knew that we built the cabin so we could come to the mountains to ski. When there was snow in the forecast or snow in the sky, he assumed that I was heading north. And he did everything humanly possible to make sure that I could run-and-gun my way up our steep driveway when I arrived.

Eventually, Roger resigned our driveway. It’s really steep, with high banks. It’s hard to get up, and tricky to get down. Understandably, the job was more excitement than Roger wanted as he moved through his 70s. I guess it’s true — you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone.

5 comments on “Ode to a Plow Guy

  1. My plow guy just told us his knees can’t take all the clutching and he won't be able to plow our driveway this year. Gotta find a new plow guy.

  2. Get my Plow Guy, Brian Farrell in Indian Lake 648-5349. He does a better job than I even ever did!

  3. I’d been writing this post in my head since I first met Roger. He was a great human being — personable, friendly, rock solid and reliable. Roger passed away, peacefully, in his sleep on Friday, December 16, 2011 at his home in North River. Rest in peace Roger. You will be missed.

  4. Oh he was a great guy! I remember what a shock it was when he died. We lived in North River then and had gotten to know Roger some and we sure did appreciate him. Then one day he was gone. I did so covet that truck!

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