They came armed with rakes, shovels, and a great attitude we won’t soon forget.
For nearly three weeks, it officially snowed more than seven feet in the greater Boston area. Those of us in southern New Hampshire were hit with even more snow and frigid temperatures below zero. The relentless snow left our front room door impassable. Drifts elsewhere were chest-high.
Robert’s home in New Hampshire was pummeled by Old Man Winter in February.
Although we knew our grandson, Matt Scott, was deeply involved in Team Rubicon, this threesome – Alan Mangan, Alycia Martin, and Brian Harlow – made the volunteer organization real for us.
Here they were, raking the parts of our roof they could reach with six-foot ladders and chopping ice where they could.
Members in Region 1 got to work and cleared the Farquhars’ roof and driveway.
My wife and I, we’re in our mid-seventies, and we aren’t used to sitting around watching other people work. (Our license plates don’t say “Live Free or Die” for nothing). So we pitched in.
As they raked snow off the roof, I removed it with my snow thrower. I noticed Alycia was on a ladder, precariously atop two feet of ice. That gave me some concern. It needn’t have. She was raking as much snow as either of the guys. In fact, she noticed I was a little flushed and asked if I needed a break. I jokingly said “yes,” but we both continued to work.
Three hours later, they were off to complete two more jobs. I was spent.
Alan Mangan (left) and Robert Farquhar (right) documented the visit for Robert’s grandson Matt Scott, Team Rubicon’s grassroots fundraising coordinator.
My wife, meanwhile, had made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and had the three volunteers jumping for joy. These three put to rest the old saying that “you get what you pay for.” We got a lot on that snowy day in New England at no cost.
Thank you, Team Rubicon. You’re the best.
