Spring May Be On The Way?

Spring may be on the way? 

Well we have heard this over and over here in the "Greater Ozarks Area" and it also applies to the greater mid-west too, but to no avail it just kept snowing this year. I was able to get a few jobs done here and there but winter wrapped us all up and the gloom and doldrums set in. The blog suffered some but brings me to the point of this blog. What does a power washer do in the winter? I can shine some light on that question.

In past winters we had server warming trends and not near the snow recorded this year. Jobs could be done and equipment could be taken out. This year we had temps we never made it out of the teens. Taking equipment out to wash even the simplest jobs can turn into a nightmare with ice and slip and falls. It seemed better to keep it packed up but then you start to suffer from not getting out and you start to worry about this, that, and play the what if game. You know what if this happens? What if we don't do as much? What if a piece of equipment goes down? Too much time to think.

Boardum sets in and you start to get down. I try to use this time to work on web sights and boost pages. Most of the time you will not see any returns on your efforts till the weather breaks and jobs start coming in. This also helps to bring you down by over-thinking again. You work and see no instant improvements. When we wash a house or concrete we can see results right a way giving us gratification. Try to keep your spirits up is a must. As power washer we all face the slow and lean times it is easy to say, don't let it get to you but it is a lot harder to act on it.

The new season is around the corner things will get better work will be rolling in. You will make, it you will adjust, and you will grow.

I know we all need a pick me up from time to time I hope this short blog helps you get up for what is about to start happening, "A New Washing Season" is just around the corner.

These pictures were of the last snow fall of 4" with sheet ice and sleet in between the layers you could not go anywhere. We had just melted off about 8" of the 12" the last storm wave brought when we received this one. I know in some areas this is not much but in the South-West MO area it is not good. Temps from -6 with high in the teens is also unusual for our are for the month of February. Just can't squirt water in weather like this.

Still snow and ice here as of last week but able to get outside and do some work on the service truck. During some of the down time, I was able to build and get this stacking unit ready for the upcoming season. I was able to mount and get some of the hoses ran with a few breaks to run in and warm up.

You can still see the tanks have antifreeze in them as temp still fall into the 20's at night here.

Today the weather is starting to turn for the better here, snow is gone still a bit of stubborn ice hanging around but I'm outside and able to do some work. Even yesterday I was able to clean some concrete, though it seemed I shoveled/power washed more sheeted ice off than anything. The local Classic Rock Coffee Company was having a "big event" and needed all the salts, grime, ice-melt, and the rest of the ice off their walkways. Wasn't any to warm but felt good to have work. I was cutting ice off the walkways with the spray and it was flying out into the parking lot while cleaning the grime off. So on a side-note a power washer can double as a snow shovel it seems. So anything you can get done or do outside in the winter is like a greater accomplishment. Winter made me a bit stir-crazy, so even something as small as mounting this old hand-carried fire-hose reel from the 30's, to the service rig, if done outside takes on some form of mythical grandeur. I took a cue from the carpet cleaners and some of their hose reels, I seem to like them much more, than the ones made just for power washing. I had this antique fire-hose reel kicking around here forever now. It's time to put it to some use. Again during some down winter time I was able to do some mods to it and convert it from holding a flat firefighting hose, to today's standard round garden hose. Now mounted on the service rig with at-least 135 feet of supply hose on it. Just being able to get out do something gave me the intensive to come in and work on this entry of the blog tonight.

Yes "Spring is on the way!" as I type the weather-girl on the TV said it is 41* now.