Not the fun kind of snow

More than a quarter million people lost power during this week's snow and ice storms, mostly due to ice-covered trees and branches falling on power lines. It'll be days before all get their power back. I feel lucky not to be among them, especially given the number of trees around my house.

 I took these photos today after the thaw started. That dark brown line at the bottom is my six-foot fence. Evergreen branches are designed to bend downwards under a load of snow. Then the snow slides off, unless it turns to ice. As temperatures fluctuated all week and we were bombarded with snow and balls of freezing rain, the layers of snow and ice alternated.

Those horizontal branches are the bamboo that normally stands straight. 

Little chicken house on the prairie. Several times I dug pathways to get there without my boots' filling with snow.

Private freeway.

Private potty corner.

And in the middle of the storm--

--one hibiscus blossom on my eleven-and-a-half year old plant, named The Death Plant because it was given to me when my husband died.