Barack Obama

When I went back to the hardware store this morning for an auger, I told the store owner and he said he wouldn't have expected the de-icing salt to clump either; so at least I felt a little less stupid. Still don't want to cause anyone else to make the same mistake, though. There's a downside to creativity! No end to the trouble you can cook up.

Boiling water does little to nothing to soften that salt clump either; but when the weather warms enough for the ice jam in the trap to go away on its own, I'll mount a serious attack with the auger. If that doesn't work, I'll buy one of these long plumber augers that fits on a drill.