Today, due to the earliest "break up" we've had since we've lived here, the heavy snow and ice that had stubbornly lasted on the garage roof finally fell ... ripping the snow diverter and the little chimney off as it did so. I only noticed this when I got home. I had to go into the dog yard as the pile from this roof-snow made a path taller than fence around the yard. While our dogs have not yet jumped the fence, the temptation to just step over it might have been more than they could resist, so I removed several feet of snow that was right next to (and pushing hard enough to strain) the fence.
I know from our original experience that the roof repair is beyond my ability both in skill and in dealing with heights (I nearly slid off the roof the last time I made an attempt). Janelle believes that the garage should be fine without the heater at this point. Considering that the lows have only been in the twenties and that there are no water pipes in the garage, I think that she is probably right. I'm just frustrated that we have to deal with this problem again.