Snow Day!

We rarely get much snow. Even this light fall turns all the brown to lovely white.

Lucy wondering why I'm taking so long.

Heavy traffic. I'm not the first to take this road.

More Snow

Millie is not thrilled with the wet snow. "Make it stop!"

Coming Change

The last few cold, clear days have been lovely, with all the mountains in top form. The light covering of snow makes everything pretty and bright.

While I was doing the afternoon feeding, clouds came rushing in from the west.

Before long they covered most of the sky. 

I'm still getting used to the new camera, so please excuse the focus. Mt. Rainier was too beautiful to pass up, even if it is a bit fuzzy.

Snowscape

A rare sunny winter day

Dawn Surprise

Yesterday was an interesting weather day. The winds howled all night and half of the day, and then it poured rain for the rest of it. Somewhere last night it began to snow. Again.

By morning we had a few inches, and the trees are still heavily laden. As much of the country celebrates warm spring weather we are again treated to the beauty of white.

Wet snow is so very pretty since it clings to everything it touches. It seems that this year every snowfall is prettier than the last.

And there is a sun, it made it's presence known briefly before the skies closed and dropped more beautiful, white flakes.

Zander in the Snow

More Snow

I thought I should find my sheep, since the snow is deeper than they are tall. When I couldn't find a horse path to follow the snow was past my knees. My boots aren't. When I stopped and turned I ran into Zander, who was following my path. The sheep were all at the bottom of the hill with the round bale of hay, and although they were looking longingly up in hopes I had grain, they seemed in good health and were all above the snow.

The chickens really didn't know what to do with themselves.

The car was almost invisible in the snow. My painter called to say he wouldn't be here because he couldn't find his truck.

The Peafowl wanted nothing to do with this day, deciding it was better to stay in the tree.

I took the quad down the hill - woo hoo! I love my quad. Getting back up proved more problematic than going down, but I got it up and parked, and myself inside, although cold, tired, and very, very wet. It rained most of the time I was out.

Snow Regeneration

There is a strange snow regeneration project going on here. It snows, it warms up, the snow melts down some. Then overnight it renews, and by morning doubles in depth. The dogs didn't quite know what to do with themselves this morning when confronted with a bank of snow to wade through.

The Snow Continues...

The quad doubles as a portable feeder. Note the chickens taking shelter under the shelf. Everyone loves hay.

The first surprise - a tree came down across the road. Fortunately there is just enough room between the trees for the quad to sneak through - even with a load of hay.

A small tree down across the electric fence. Other trees down in the background.

And yet more trees overwhelmed by the heavy snow. We've had an accumulation of 6-10 inches, and it is now above freezing (but still snowing). The snow sticks to everything and weighs a ton.

One of the Alpaca expressing his displeasure.

A Snowy Day

The snows did come, making the world soft, muted and even more beautiful than usual. I spent the morning watching the beauty, sipping coffee. I fed everyone well last night so I could take my time.

Fences need checking because our snow is so wet it often breaks branches or builds up and grounds out the fence. The chickens are, as always in the snow, not amused.

In the Middle

I woke to rain, which managed to surprise me, although rain is the normal state of weather here in January. A friend who lives 4 miles away and 200 feet higher called to say he had snow. It wasn't even raining here then. When I went out to feed I went up to the top of the hill to see what I could see.

I seemed to be in the eye of the storm. There were clouds all around, as I sat in sunshine.

Whatever direction I looked clouds hovered on the edges.

Dark clouds loomed to the east, the direction snow was reported.

The northern hills already had a coating of snow.

The window of sunshine didn't last, but I enjoyed it while it was here. It is now snowing, and the snow is accumulating. It should be beautiful in the morning, a world of soft white.

November Snow

I woke to a cold black and white world of snow and fog.

The geese don't care - as I took the picture I heard splashing, as one of them bathed in the kiddie pool.

Even early November snows are very pretty...

but the wet snow overburdens trees. Young cottonwoods bend down to the ground, making the lane impassable by vehicle. While I fed the horses I heard a large branch crack and fall to the ground.

The trees make beautiful patterns in black and white.

By 3PM the world regained color as the sky cleared and snow melted off the trees.

But not the ground. The clearing skies guarantee a cold night, and a couple inches of frozen slush in the morning.

Melt Down

Above freezing temps and heavy snow are not a great combination. The snow is persistent on the ground, which is frozen, and is as water-logged as snow can be. In flat spots water is accumulating.

This puddle now covers the entire lane, and is quite deep in the puddles.

It extends into my pasture, and threatens to enter the hay shed. I've not seen this much water on the road before. And the snow still has to melt away...

Follow the Geese

Early in the morning I head down the hill to feed the critters. I find I am not the first one to leave tracks in the new snow.

Where would the geese be going early on a snowy morning?

To the first flat spot in the road, where water gathers in puddles under the snow. Geese must bathe. ALL of the prints in the snow except mine on the far left are from the geese.

And then they continued on to the next flatish spot in the road, the next set of puddles. Prints here go in both directions.

And on down to the next set of puddles. The geese may be the only ones happy that gravel roads develop low spots. I didn't realize the geese travelled this far down the road. They may not normally - their pool was damaged when it blew into the woods in the winds preceding this snow.

Continued White

Forecast: overnight low 36. Rain all day.

Actual: temp at 7:30 AM - 34 deg. Heavy snow.

It snowed all last night and all day. The warmish temps kept it from accumulating more than 4", but it snowed hard enough to maintain at least 2". Things are very wet.

It is beautiful and magical.