One of our downspouts freezes solid if it gets any excuse at all. I mentioned the roof rake concept to chiefoperator with concern about how I could get at the roof and he said he thought I'd have to stand on a ladder, not something I'm happy about in icy conditions. I can't even see our roof without standing in the neighbors' front yards and looking down the side of my house because the houses are that close together. Is a roof rake something I can use? Is he right that a ladder would be involved (in which case he probably won't be at all happy letting me try).

There are days when I really wonder why we even have gutters and downspouts.