He dug the shovel blade into the dirt and picked it up.

"You can also use spray wax on a shovel blade to keep snow from sticking," he said.

"Just make sure you start out with a warm shovel blade before lubricating it," he said.

Nearby was a shovel blade, its handle missing.

McAllister was a square, phlegmatic man built like a shovel blade.

The shovel blade, for example, is bigger than anything Caterpillar has ever made.

Others had disappeared below ground, and showed occasionally only as shovel blades.

Ms. Williams said that rubbing some floor wax on the shovel blade helps keep the snow from sticking.

She jammed the shovel blade into the earth.

A cattle brand is welded into each shovel blade, like those found on Clarke's family ranch.