What just happened?

What's that stuff doing here?

Just a couple of weeks ago, frogs were croaking. I think they've crawled back into the mud to sleep.

There we were

Frogs croaking, green shoots coming up, last year's primroses blooming.

And then look what we wake to this morning.

But it's soggy and no fun to play in.

Somebody even refused to leave the shelter of the breezeway.

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. 

Verbless Vendsday

Not a day for chickens.

A day for dogs.

Some dogs.

And then...

Record cold

You know those brisk fall days when you enjoy raking leaves and readying the yard for winter? We didn't have any this year.

Roses one week ago.



During the snow.

Today after the snow melted.

Monday's snow fell on top of icy roads and one day this week set a record for cold this time of year. Tuesday and Wednesday the dogs got only minimal walks because the snow was so dry that it squeaked under my feet, sending shivers up my back and teaching me that cold-shivers are preferable to sound-shivers.

Green leaves fell on the snow; I've never seen that before.



I saw interesting footprints around the house, some that I can't identify.

A bird hopped onto the back stairs.

The neighbor's cat walked in front of the garage.



And something really big crossed at the entrance to the driveway.
Because snow was falling, I ran inside and grabbed the first thing I could find to show the size--a five-inch rawhide chew stick.

By comparison, this is an Airedale footprint.

And here's the monster foot. What could it be? Does this neighborhood have a very weird newspaper carrier?

What chickens think of snow

I'm heading inside to the day quarters.

Isn't it gone yet?

Muffin (r) and Bran(l) waiting for the coast to clear.

Snow is for eating off the side of the chicken barn.

Yesterday at the first sign of snow, the chickens headed into their daytime hutch. (That's a muddy tarp in front.) They're spending today inside their snow-covered chicken barn. Normally they'd spend some time outside but 26 degrees F is too cold for us all. Snow in November simply isn't supposed to happen around here.

the hens don't like snow

Everybody stayed inside the tarp-covered barn (L)until I scattered some grain and Punkster stepped out, only to disapprove.



The others peered out but that was as close as they wanted to get to any snow.


Meanwhile, Alanis checked out the cup that held the grain

and took it to a place where she could settle in for an investigation.

Verrrrry Cold

Along with most of the country, we're having unusually cold weather. It began Saturday night with snow falling on wet ground, rapidly turning to ice. A week's worth of temps ranging from 15 to 30 F is predicted, along with more snow. The chickens don't like it! Nobody does. The hens are spending much of the day inside their barn, which I've wrapped with a tarp to keep out drafts.

Then there's the water problem. The barn (a tiny coop shaped like a barn) is too small to put the waterer inside. I ransacked the garage today searching for the heated waterer I used to have but it seems to have disappeared in one of my several moves over the last 8 yrs. Guess I'll be checking the water several times a day.

Like most Airedales, Alanis frisked through the snow when she first saw it. Now it's ho-hum, just stuff on the ground. The stuff on the ground, however, is preventing us from taking our usual walks because I don't want to slip on the ice. People are just made wrong--dogs don't fall on ice.

Insane weather

I'm personally insulted by the snow. It never ever snows in Seattle in the middle of April. It began with hail, slush and ice falling from afternoon to early evening, now regular snow sticking to roofs and trees and the lawn. To see snow falling at 8 pm before the sun is due to set--well, if other people around here are not unnerved, I'd like to hear about that.

The chickens go into their house, then step outside looking bewildered, as if the snow should have reconsidered and gone away while they were indoors. They whine. I whine. I locked them in early tonight.

Last week I was wearing shorts and listening to the frogs in the evening. Yesterday evening it was not too chilly to stand outside and breathe in the perfume of all the blossoms. This evening I'm wearing fleece and wondering how many frogs and young birds are dying in this sudden cold. It's as if everything has gone into reverse.