Blind Sided By Winter Once Again
Sometimes, it seems winter loves to play with us, and especially enjoys messing with the meteorologists. In the last 3 weeks, the warnings were numerous: ‘Get ye to the market and stock up on food and drink, because a winter storm is bearing down on us with intent to bury us deep’. And as is often the case, the frightened populous, sometimes in a panic, scurries out to clear store shelves of groceries, ice melt and shovels, in anticipation of the predicted deluge of the white stuff.
As it has happened several times recently, we woke up the next morning expecting an arctic-like landscape only to find 3, maybe 4, inches of snow, so light and fluffy you could sweep it away with a broom. After these false alarms, residents became complacent and all but smirked and ignored yet another warning of a major storm, confident that this time would also be a false alarm. Ah, but it wasn’t. Last Sunday, we rose in the AM to find more than a foot of cement like, heavy and wet snow, taking all the muscle folks could muster to move it. Was this a joke played on us by Old Man Winter, as he sometimes does when the thought of springtime on the horizon teases us? Possibly.
A good thing about these storms is it brings out the best in people; people willing to lend a hand and clear walk ways, stairs and cars for neighbors, who are not capable or because of work schedule, just aren’t able to do it themselves. It happens all over South Boston and it’s a beautiful thing. One such person, whose neighbors were so grateful for his help, they wrote into SBT and requested we thank him publicly was Paul McDonough. Paul went into action with his snow blower and assisted his East Seventh Street neighbors and moved tons of the heavy wet stuff on their behalf. Some of those neighbors called him a hero that day. And though Paul is a humble guy and would never seek praise for helping fellow residents in need of assistance which he so often has, he certainly deserves it. You’re a good man Paul McDonough.
