Day in the Life of a Car Lot after a Snowstorm

Most people look forward to sleeping in on Saturdays for a change in routine from their work week.  We work most Saturdays because we are part owners in a Used Car Sales and Service business. 

Saturdays are usually busy at the shop but the morning after a snow storm,  busy takes on a whole different meaning.  This morning our car lot looked like this when we arrived at work.

My tools for cleaning up the car lot are few but essential.  I dress in warm clothes with boots, jacket, hat and several warm pairs of gloves.  I also need a snow brush for sweeping the cars off before moving them to plow, a jump pack to start any cars that may have a dead battery, and lots of coffee.  And no, we don’t have a McDonald’s in our small town of 400.  I just recycle the cups when I buy coffee so my good cups can stay at home where they belong.

One of the things I like most about cleaning up the lot is the level of activity around town.  Everyone is busy cleaning up, homes and businesses alike.  This morning as I was clearing the lot I heard my first snowmobile in town.  When we get a lot of snow it is not unusual to see large groups of snowmobiles drive through town on the snowmobile trails. 

After I sweep off all the snow off the cars I retrieve all the keys for the cars and start each one and move them so I can remove the snow.  No one likes to tramp through the snow to look at a vehicle covered in snow when they are shopping cars and we don’t have an inside showroom for our cars.

This is what the lot looks like after I’ve moved all the cars.  Today wasn’t bad only two cars that wouldn’t start before moving them. 

I move all the snow from the south end of the lot to the north end where we pile it up for the season.  Sometimes we get too much snow and have to haul some away so we have enough room for more snow if we get some.  After the lot is clear then I move all the cars back to their locations and put all their keys away and the bobcat away as well. 

This morning it wasn’t too bad for working outside because the wind wasn’t blowing and I dressed warm enough.  My work started at 8:00 this morning and it took until 1:15 to finish up.  As I finished up and was getting ready to head home my husband said that we needed to go out on a tow call.   This is what the lot looked like when I finished this morning.

We locked everything up at the shop and backed out the tow truck.  It seems we needed to rescue a sheriff who had driven a rear wheel drive squad car down a very steep hill in the snow and got stuck at the bottom.  We had the winch the car up the hill backwards to get it out.  I don’t know what the sheriff was thinking driving down that hill.  It wasn’t an emergency call,  just follow-up on an investigation.

This is where the picture of the sheriff’s car being towed up the hill belongs but the sheriff didn’t take too kindly to me for wanting to take a picture of the event so you will have to settle for a picture of my favorite watering can outside my front door.   

Keep warm, toasty and your cars on the road . 

I don’t feel like a tow call out in the cold this evening. 

I am finally warmed up and settled in with a good book! 

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