MIRACLE ON RITTENHOUSE AVENUE

SIDEWALK ON RITTENHOUSE  BETWEEN BROAD AND SECOND STREETS

ANDY'S IGA IS NOW REACHABLE SANS SNOW SHOES

SIDEWALK ON RITTENHOUSE AVE. BETWEEN SECOND AND FIRST STREETS

CITY SNOWBLOWER CLEARING SIDEWALK ALL THE WAY TO THE OLD RITTENHOUSE INN

Saturday,  10:30 AM.  13 degrees F, up from 4 earlier.  It is overcast, the wind is from the west, light with stronger gusts.  The humidity is 80% and the barometer is trending down, at 29.55".  We take the polar plunge into sub-zero temperatures tonight, along with much of the rest of the country.
   I have often mused in my Almanac posts why folks would bother to read this stuff.  Every once in a while I a get an answer of sorts, and it turns out a lot of my readers are Bayfieldians who flee our fair city for warmer climes.  Every winter.  They are to be envied.  One such reader is Bev Valpone, who emailed me that she was happy to see her sailboat, the Alakulu, in its snowy winter attire at the Black Hawk Marina in yesterday's post.  Glad to be of service, and if any other reader wishes to see any particular scene of Bayfield in winter let me know and I will add it to a post, or if you'd rather I will email you a photo sub rosa. Which leads into today's post.
   For the now thirteen winters we have lived in Bayfield I have complained, suggested, even cajoled the city about keeping the few blocks of the downtown business district free of snow in the winter.  The norm has been virtually un-passable sidewalks and drifts of snow impeding a vehicle's passenger door from opening, to say nothing of water and slush clogged drains worthy of a New York City underpass.  I have often wondered why the downtown business owners put up with it.  Well, miracle of miracles, the streets and walks have been well-cleared now after several big snow storms.  I applaud the new maintenance regime and encourage its continuance!
   Key to the newly cleaned downtown is a city snowblower which I have not seen before but reportedly has been in the stable for a couple of winters now.  Keep it rolling, guys!