Yes, we're still in the grips of a winter blast. Monday(Day One) was all about rain freezing as it hit the ground, then sleet came on top of that, then some snow came in as a final insult. Jeremy made it home sometime after lunch that day as his boss closed down the shop because of travel concerns for the guys working there. Thank goodness. The roads were already an icy mess and Jeremy said he slid a couple of times as he made his way home.
Ummmm, yeah, this is what each individual blade of grass looked like coated with ice.
Icy DISH anyone? Halfway thru the day Monday I measured the ice on the DISH as I broke it off....and it was already at 3/8".....not sure how much thicker it got later on.
Both of our cars had icicles dripping from them.
The poor birds couldn't access the seeds in the birdfeeder as it was simply drenched in ice and icicles.
And this is what our valley looked like later on in the afternoon. All the trees and bushes were sparkling in the brief bit of sunlight breaking through the clouds.
Yesterday(Day Two) none of us went anywhere. We woke up to an icy winter wonderland. All the rain from Monday couldn't penetrate the frozen ground and the sleet topped off that mess. By the end of the day we had at least 1/2" of ice frozen on every surface outdoors. The cement floor of our pavilion was a veritable skating rink! And our normally rough gravel lane coming into the farm was as smooth as silk with well over an inch of ice covering the stones.
Yes, this is our lane.....which is now a narrow, snow covered ice skating rink leading out to the road.
Jeremy and I went outside in the afternoon and broke the ice off the roof of the bird feeder so we could reload it with food for our feathered friends. They were so grateful and we've seen birds darting down to the feeder from the trees above ever since. I love watching these birds every morning as they scurry around picking up seeds.
When the sun peeked out from the heavy cloud layer, some of the icicles began to do a slow drip-drip, trying their best to melt. Ha! It wasn't long, though, before the sun set behind the ridge across from our farm and everything froze up solid once again.
Can you see the ice covering each and every branch and twig? It really was pretty to see our woods looking like a crystal forest.
I hope this close up shows you how all the branches are solidly covered with ice!
Remember the icy grass picture from Day One? Well, this is what it looked like on Day Two. Still icy only now it's coated in a layer of snow.
Isn't the arbor pretty draped in crystals? I almost feel like we are living in a snow globe!
Our entire farm is coated like this. Whenever the wind kicks up, you should hear the sounds emanating from our woods! The tree branches are groaning and creaking like you can't believe. And every once in a while you'll hear a sudden loud "CRACK" and thump as a branch breaks off and lands on the forest floor.
Ok, I think this may very well be our Christmas card pic for next year!
Today is now Day Three of the storm. Jeremy still can't get out to go to work and any appointments we had scheduled have been canceled. This is how Joel braves the elements to go out and take care of the animals in winter. First, he has to start warming himself up with a cup of joe....while he hangs out in his insulated bib overalls. He loves those overalls!
This is what it looks like outside today. We got more snow overnight and the wind has really picked up. Our flag is frozen stiff and clings to the pole. But if you look closely, you can see the snow blowing off of the roof of the barn during one of our wind gusts.
Yup, we're definitely staying home again today. The snow is supposed to taper off this afternoon and the local weatherman says to expect wind gusts in the 40 mph range. Hmmmm, that should be interesting.
We're very grateful we haven't lost power yet like some of our friends have. I've been baking and cooking on our antique kitchen stove and that helps to keep our home snug and warm. Yesterday I made homemade mac and cheese and we grilled burgers inside. This morning our choice was for a hearty breakfast casserole.
I hope you enjoyed our little tour around the farm during an ice storm. Tonight the temps are supposed to drop to zero and the weatherman is predicting temps below 20 for the next few days. I don't think the black ice on the roads will be melting anytime soon, do you?
Enjoying our latest adventure,
Debbie
