Questions this thread has made me think of:

1. I have a brand new home. Someone said you can not use salt on new concrete...is this true? I do not want to ruin my driveway or sidewalks. What can I use instead?

2. I have a new pup[py...7 months old. What do those of you with pets do in the winter? Shovel off a spot for them in the grasss? She refuses to use an indoor potty pad.....and is house trained to go outside. She is small..mini Schnauzer. how do pet owners handle winters with snow?

3. My car stays in the garage. I am thinking I am not going to worry about sholveling the entire driveway.....just make tire paths in and out! And then only shovel a small path from the garage to they yard for Sophie (the dog) to potty!

Whoever mentioned wanting to move to Ky..winters are not that bad if you are in an area that has a good city snow removal. If you are in teh rural area then , yes, a big snow could keep you inside! Where were you considering moving to in Ky?

Being from NE Ohio, we get some pretty heavy, wet snows. The one thing I have to add is to consider the weight of the snow. Moving snow, one shovel at a time, for several feet means you're actually moving hundreds of pounds and this is hard on the heart and back. My step-father suffered a heart attack from shoveling snow when he was in his 50's.

Here are some pointers from the Harvard Medical School Health Blog:

Here are some tips for safe shoveling:

Warm up your muscles before starting.
Shovel many light loads instead of fewer heavy ones.
Take frequent breaks.
Drink plenty of water.
Dont feel that you need to clear every speck of snow from your property.
Head indoors right away if your chest starts hurting, you feel lightheaded or short of breath, your heart starts racing, or some other physical change makes you nervous. If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 or your local emergency number.

If you are out of shape or worried about your heart, hire a teenage neighbor. He or she could use the money, and probably the exercise.

As an Ohioan I never heard of an electric shovel either, but I have a great neighbor who has plowed our drive for years. When it comes to snow, there are a lot of ways to move it, but on steps and walks the real problem is ice. When the snow compacts, it partially melts in daytime sunlight then refreezes at night. Hence ice. It is very hard to see and treacherous. I recommend keeping big bags of kitty litter or sand in the trunk of the car and in the house so you have some to put on the ice to increase friction. We had a lot of snow and ice in Ohio last winter, but it was the ice that snarled things up.

My elderly mother, 85, uses a snowblower, but only for her deck and walkway, small steps in back, as soon as it quits snowing she gets right on it, before stepping on it or it gets too heavy. Once in awhile when it gets too much, a good shovel has to work, the pam on the shovel does help when its icy out....

Slow and easy shoveling...

FOR PUPPY, I start a trail - to where theres an area you'd rather they go, once they start they pack it down themselves...

Biodegrable type ice melt - its out there, I use it on my cedar deck one kind was no good, one did the job not as great as salt ice melt though...

I have 4" thus far, thought it was going to melt right away NOPE

Up here in Canada we get tons of snow. I was facing the same dilema as you a couple of years ago. Hubby was just too sick to shovel any more and I can't shovel snow - too hard on my shoulders and back.

I pay somebody to do it. You can go to the local grocery store and look on the bulletin board to teenagers who want to earn extra money shoveling snow (if you don't want to pay for a "professional"). Or look in the local papers for ads.

Good luck!

MissingFrank - I missed your question about getting Sophie interested in 'going' in the snow.

You might be surprised at how much she enjoys the snow. I know that my Corgi Bronny loved it from the first time she saw it as a 6 month old pup and so did all my other corgis (I've had 4). Corgis are a bit sturdier of a dog than a little mini Schnauzer but Sophie might have a very good time in the snow. Corgis are short but they don't seem to mind jumping into big drifts.

I would make a little path as was suggested and then perhaps just smooth down the snow with your foot. Cue her to go by using your usual words ie "puppy have to go potty?" or as I did "Bronny has to go outside - Bronny is soooo good". She got the idea and when she did go, I made a huge fuss over how smart and good she was.

As to the snow - keep some salt in your trunk (or if the bag is too heavy, use kitty litter) and keep your trunk weighted down too, so that you don't slip and slide as you back out of your drive. A bit of salt on the drive does a world of good. My back is bad so I can't really shovel so I've learned a few tricks the last few years Allie was unwell.

Snow. the S---- Word.. I Lived in Michigan, for 56 Years and Shoveled s..... for 40 Years. Tons and Tons of it. My Husband and I Moved, far enough South, Six Years, Ago, that I, only see S..... 3 or 4 Times a Year and then it Melts off the next day. I feel Your Pain.

I too have never heard of an electric snowshovel... I have a long stone driveway which is impossible to shovel...too long...my BIL has a plow on his 4 wheeler and will come plow me out , and I also have a friend who's SIL plows out her grandparents and then comes and does my driveway...
since I work in a school, I don't worry too much about having to go to work when it's too much snow...school is cancelled at that point and I just stay in...plus I have enough accumulated sick days that I would just use them if I had to!
I'm not a big fan of snow, but my property looks beautiful on those snowy days...
Let's all be careful of not shovelling too much at one time!