There’s nothing like having 14 inches of holiday magic piled up outside your front door, is there?

I know, I should be more properly reverential. For Bing Crosby or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, our recent blizzard would be the stuff of sentimental ballads. For Vail or Aspen, it’s cold, hard cash falling from the sky, giving off an audible “cha-ching!” from every ski slope. For many of us, it’s the stuff of childhood memories – and a chance to see which drivers have recently moved here from California, Florida, and Texas.

But when a storm like this hits, it’s also a reminder that it’s time for the Snow Shovel Brigade to muster once more.

If you’re a longtime Longmonter, you know what I mean. Under the city code, each of us has 24 hours after the snow stops falling to clear the sidewalks. Some of us are faster about it than others, depending on the power of our shovels or snow blowers, the endurance of our spinal columns, and the quantity of ice melt available.  But there’s an understanding that you’ve got to help keep the pathways clear.

That’s great. That’s needed. And I’m going to add one more thing to the checklist.

Don’t forget to keep your electric and water meters clear, too.

If this sounds familiar, you may be remembering one of my blogs from warmer times, with a reminder to cut back vegetation around your meters. The thing is, snow and ice can slow down a meter reader just as much as tall grass and knotted rose bushes. And since the meter reading team has more than 73,000 meters to read in a given month, a little bit of help can make a lot of difference – especially on days when the Abominable Snowman himself would stay in with a good book.

So while you have that shovel out, make sure to clear an access way to the meter, too. And if you have a water meter pit in the front yard, be careful not to dump snow on top of it as you’re shoveling –  otherwise, since our readers lack X-ray vision, that means they have to dig through that brand new mountain to make sure you get an accurate reading.

Take a few moments. Win another victory for the Snow Shovel Brigade. It’s one more great way that neighbors help make a great community.

And that’s the real holiday magic.