From Tuesday's drive.

For the third day today, I chiseled away at the snow and ice covering the south sidewalk.

Cursing the Good Samaritan.

He being some anonymous soul in our town who has an expensive toy he seems obsessed with sharing with the rest of us.

Namely a heavy ATV equipped with a blade. For the third time this winter, he has snuck along unnoticed on this sidewalk, plowing the entire walk with his gas-powered, man-sized Tonka Toy.

In the process packing two wide strips of snow on each side into hardened, almost irremovable ice.

Mind you, he is not the only samaritan in our small town. Twice before, in two separate winters, I have caught similar men with their man-sized toys busy compacting the snow onto my otherwise soon-to-be immaculate sidewalks.

And, as politely as possible, asked them to cease and desist.

One still speaks to me.

Just as bad as the compaction, this year's "big boy with a big toy" managed to pile all the snow into a tall berm on the south side of the south sidewalk.

Now, as I mentioned in one of the earliest entries in this journal, in our country, that is just plain stupid.

Probably 75 to 80 percent of our winter winds come from the west-southwest. That's why the power companies want to cover our hills with wind turbines. Which means, huge drifts will almost always pile up on the north or east side of wherever you pile your snow.

Piling snow on the south or west side of any sidewalk or driveway is just dumb, unless you like the idea of shoveling new snow drifts on days when it hasn't even snowed.

So, as I shovel through the compacted and drifted snow on our south sidewalk, and also heave the entire berm from the south side to the north side one shovelful at a time, I am cursing the guy who tripled my work.

Who almost certainly went home thinking he and his toy are the best secret friends the town has.

Along comes the chief of police in his SUV #01, his ever cheerful self. Near the end of our conversation, I ask:

You wouldn't happen to know who the idiot is who drove his ATV down my walk and made all this extra work, would you?

He does.

Of course he does. I mean, the whole town isn't six blocks by six blocks, you know.

Turns out, I'm not the only scrooge complaining about the extra time and effort created by this unthinking, kind-hearted soul. Others have made unhappy mention of the same issue.

And the chief understands completely about the southern berm, having problems in other parts of town with people who should know better blocking entire streets by piling snow on the wrong side.

If he sees "Collin", he promises to let him know how some folks feel.