In childhood to feel helpful in the summer time, my mother would allow me and my sister 17 months older (the insane one if you have read past posts) to rake that of the mow'd grass and apples from the orchard behind our house up, after my Two oldest sisters (one 8 and the other 4 years old then we) and their friends mow'd and did what nots in the yards. I remember throwing the rake out in front of me and pulling it back. Huge piles would gather around the yard. Then in the fall the front yard of my granmothers trailer had 7 tall trees, all baring their leaves for the winter. Raking up these where for for pleasure then to feel helpful, many a times ended up sevreal rakeing ups due to jumping in to the piles. I however never thought at at 20 I would find a new season to rake, a new use for it. Yet this winter of ice, I say ice because that is what is on the ground, Sheets of horrible ice not snow. I have found my new way. Using the wooden side of the rake you due a pool like move and hit the ice on the car just hard enough to cause a crack. From that you can hit again just as gently as the first and walla, you have cracked the ice off your car, and just for safty after you get a big enough chunk you can then use a ice scrapper, I like the ones with the gloves build on to then scrap all the ice and snow (that is benieth thick ice) off your car.
A rake can also double as a snow shovel aswell. I love Rakes <3