that six more weeks of winter? we got the snow to prove it, punctuated before and after by days with temperatures in the 40s. the weather the past few months has been all over the map, a kind of strange winter/spring mash-up that, for a life so attuned to the seasons, gives you the feeling of being continually a bit off balance. these impromptu february squalls serve as a biting reminder that winter still has plenty of cards to play before we're out of the woods...
Well, that predicted 7 inches for the weekend ended up being 2 feet all over the mid-atlantic, and once again, the dogs (and us younger people) are the only ones delighted by the abundance of perfect powder. Preferring to hunker down, no driveways or porches were shoveled today, and the only track visible in the yard is the pathway to the barn and back to the house. Cows and sheep were clearly relieved (and thus immediately strident) at the appearance of relief, eventually mollified by grain and fresh hay. Unfortunately, the depth of the snow prevented the use of the tractor to move hay bales into the feeder, which necessitated a good hour of forking hay by hand for a pretty unruly crowd. Though an onerous prospect, it's actually rather satisfying and rhythmic work, pitching the mounds of hay, releasing the scent of summer into the crisp winter air. Today the barnyard is a small microcosm of life punctuated by steamy breaths and contented animal sounds in a world rendered silent and empty by the heavy blanket of snow.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Unexpected snowfall last night, only a few inches, but apparently a precursor for the 7 to 10 inches we're expected to get this weekend. The dogs are unsurprisingly the only animals which are delighted by this development; flock and herd spend the day hanging out by the barn, loudly announcing their displeasure, much to the delight of the neighbors. Days like this, the circus turns into a symphony with a three part chorus of hungry voices.
