Big boys still play with trucks

We were in a hurry the other morning to get to town for Emerson's baptism.  Patrick took my car and tested to be sure we could get to the main road since it had snowed all night.  Our four wheel drive was needed but we could make it.  So all six of us were ready to go and off we went.  We were following Patrick's truck since he needed to go to work after the baptism and needed his vehicle to get home again.

All was well... until... the first turn.  He took a quick glance back to be sure that I had made it out of the driveway and that's all it took for him to slide slightly into the ditch filled with snow.  He spun, he rocked, but to no avail.  His truck was stuck.  I however was not.  So I continued.  Jim brought Caleb's truck to try to pull him out but it was decided that time was more important, so Patrick just drove Caleb's truck to town and we would deal with the stuck truck when we returned home later. 

Fast forward a few hours. 

We followed the snow plow home so our return drive was uneventful.

We changed our clothes and Caleb and Duncan headed out with the snow blower and shovels to extricate Patrick's truck.

The neighbour had noticed our 'stuck truck' and was preparing his truck with the snowplow on the front to clear the road so that once we had the truck out it would be clear to return it home.  The boys and I watched from our warm perch inside the house.  The neighbours truck got stuck leaving his driveway.  Caleb and Duncan continued to snow blow and shovel.  The neighbour then started up his other truck (he has a work vehicle) and put a chain on the plow truck and unstuck his truck.  

Now the neighbour was plowing his driveway and the part of the road that was clear of stuck vehicles.  Caleb and Duncan had cleared all around Patrick's truck and were attempting to rock, push and drive it out of the ditch.... the back wheels were just spinning.  So the neighbour backed the plow truck up to attach the chain to Patrick's truck and give it a tug.  SUCCESS!  

After an hour the excitement was over, Patrick's truck was back in the driveway, Caleb and Duncan were thawing near the fire and the neighbour was finishing clearing the road.    

After about 15 minutes.... 

knock knock.

The neighbour was standing at the door.  "Could I get a tug, please?"  He had slid off the road at the other end.  So they bundled back up and headed outside.  The little boys and I returned to our viewing window.  

The next three hours...

The plow truck was pulled out of the ditch next to our driveway but Caleb's truck slid in the ditch on the other side.  While trying to pull Caleb's truck out the plow truck became further stuck.  Now with two stuck truck's, his wife's jeep joined the excitement and was used to pull the plow truck back onto the road.  Then they pulled Caleb's truck out.  All trucks were then returned to their driveways. 

Whittaker had hot cocoa waiting for Caleb and Duncan.

 The neighbour found someone with a backhoe to clear the rest of the road... The snow was just too heavy for his plow.  

And it continued to snow for another 16 hours.  

As I type, Caleb is snow blowing again... Our big snow blower isn't working, so all is being done with the small snow blower.  (we're hopeful it's just a new battery needed)  But we are soooo grateful that we have more than a shovel.