February 16, 2025
The word of the week is ....Snow! Just short of a foot of snow fell over Wednesday evening into Thursday morning here. Our clearing looks like an expanse of smooth white meringue. The temperature is staying beautifully in minus digits.
This morning, this is the back step.
Another few inches have fallen, as the picnic table was bare yesterday, and snow is still coming down. The flakes are drifting down through the light halo, sparkling against the darkness, then dance and swirl with every little capricious gust of wind, changing directions, even retreating upwards at times.
By late Thursday morning, the snow eased off, and the shovelling, blowing and ploughing commenced.
We like to make a two blower pass along the road through the cedar bush, for accessibility.
The wind and the snow create curiosities. This is the picnic table beside the garden beds, not a really accurate depth gauge, but interesting architecture, more abrupt on the N side where the wind has been hitting.
We had to get out and break some trails on Friday, an irresistible blue sky day with a brisk north wind.
Someone else had their snowshoes on...perhaps a Snowshoe Hare.
You can really see how it's feet are spread out like snowshoes, the nails making little nicks in the snow at the front of its feet. The foxes are around and do like travelling along our packed trails. We saw the bounding tracks of a marten, but no one else had ventured out onto the fresh canvas yet.
Is this a study of blue on white or white on blue? This White Birch really stood out to me, but the picture does not do it justice.
And this tree, a large, pyramidal White Spruce in a clearing...we have named The Sergeant, in honour of a cousin and best friend, a police officer who recently lost his battle with cancer.
I don't think we have ever had snow like yours, the last huge snow storms would have been back in the 70's, I can't make my mind up if I would love it or hate it. From the south coast of UK.
ReplyDeleteMarlene, this winter is so much more like winters we are used to having. It is more 'normal'. I love it! It is beautiful.
DeleteHaving said that, we are in a position to enjoy it, being retired. It poses problems for folk who have to get to work etc. In towns and cities, the snow gets slushy and dirty from the treatments used to clear it.
A Winter Wonderland!
ReplyDeleteToday becomes a 'winter work-land', as the sky is clear (the moon is shining this morning), and we will be out clearing snow to make ourselves accessible to the world again!
DeleteI especially like the photo of the picnic table. :) The snow is beautiful. So many people complain about it, it's nice to hear how much you love it!
ReplyDeleteI know I seem to be in a minority! Wintertime holds so many good memories.
DeleteDressing for the weather makes all the difference. Yes you can be warm and comfortable with the wind and snow whipping around you!!
It is somehow reassuring to have a lot of snow even though everyone else around me is sick of our winter. I think we had our "January Thaw" around Christmas because the snow has not let up since New Year's. I like the snow because a thawed landscape makes me think I should do spring work before its time.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with that, SA! Last spring was an endurance test when what little snow we did get, melted so early and it was so dry here, that a fire ban was in place. I look out at all that lovely moisture, and am hoping it melts down slowly and nourishes the soil.
DeleteI'd agree with you if I wasn't in my wheelchair. I always used to enjoy winter, and I have a pair of snowshoes just like those.
ReplyDeleteAll this snow makes it very difficult for you, in many ways.
DeleteAfter a morning of snow clearing, I did a short slog on snowshoes. The snow is so full of air that I sank a lot, and didn't go far! Plus the wind was very strong and trees were swaying and creaking ominously!
I loved this post! Your words took me there.
ReplyDelete