Keeping the driveway cleared and safe is a priority at the studio/residence, especially during this busy pre-Christmas shopping season. Nothing is worse than rain after a heavy snow. During rain tire tracks that were made before the new snow was plowed end up turning into solid ice because the ground is frozen. The longer the temperature stays above freezing the more slushy the frozen areas become, but if caught at the right moment can be scraped away with a shovel. Using a plow would work better, but that is not an option at the moment. Time is of the essence, at any moment the temperature can drop to freezing and then the driveway will become nothing more than a lumpy, uneven ice rink, and treacherous. If this happens before we can get all the slushy ice removed, we resort to spreading ice melt, sand, or kitty litter, or a combination of all three depending on what is on hand. This is one of the messy, unpleasant hazards of winter in Alaska. I don’t feel like working inside at the easel until this situation is resolved. We have many visitors selecting prints and originals as gifts at this time of the year, and their convenience and safety is imperative. Such is the drudge and non-glamorous side of life as an Alaskan artist.
Gail Niebrugge, landscape painter
