The Year of No Salt

We had a new driveway poured last September because the existing driveway was crumbling. In the process of tearing the old one out, we discovered that there were actually two driveways, one poured on top of the other. There is a one year warranty on the new concrete, with one provision: we cannot use salt on it.

Dang!

Although the new driveway is smoother than the old one and doesn't have its peculiar bumps and crumbles, it is still a deadly car-eating monster. Even in the summer, many of my friends refuse to take their cars up it. Our across the street neighbors declined to come to our early New Year's Eve party because it was snowing and they didn't want to walk up or down it. True, they're elderly, but I've landed on my can more than once when the driveway's been ice and snow coated. This morning, the Engineer had to switch to his lug-soled shoes to retrieve the newspaper. To get up it in the winter, you have to have sufficient initial speed. If not, about one third of the way up, the car will start slipping downhill. Straight towards the drop off on the left side.

To quote myself, "Oh, explative deleted!"

I do want to get rid of the junipers the Engineer butchered along the left side of the driveway in the spring, but I don't want to do it prematurely using my car as the cutting tool. So cross your fingers for me and hope my car doesn't go skiing off trail this winter.