Barry plows
Let’s walk to the mailbox, shall we?
Barry is plowing snow today, thank goodness, for last night the tractor stopped dead as he plowed the twelve inches of new snow on the driveway. It simply stopped cold, done, finis.
He plotted repair scenarios all night in his sleep, but this morning–lo and behold, another miracle!, the tractor revved once again. Ice in the gas line, he thinks. (I will correct this diagnosis later, just in case non-mechanical me is completely in error.)
Frozen sap
See this bit of frozen sap? It’s lingered here on this spruce for months and months. As if the tree’s sap simply decided to stay–just like this–and not drip another sappy drop. I’ve been meaning to photograph it since last summer. How long will it remain suspended in mid-air?
Pond cattail
The tiny pond with cattails lies to our left. Hello, cattails. Whatcha knowing?
We’re going to our friends’ house for dinner. We have no idea what they’re making. Wonder what’s on the menu?
Years ago, I cooked up cattail roots. I don’t recall anything about them–except I’ve never been inclined to recreate the culinary experience.
Deep snow
So much snow, isn’t there?
I emptied our wood stove ashes a couple of hours ago. It was painful! I carried the full ash bucket behind the house. Sunk in over my knees. Snow filled my boots. Not too pleasant. However, I laughed (while simultaneously whimpering). How can you NOT laugh when something is as ridiculous as this?
Spruce cones
The sun shines this afternoon. How odd! We Michiganders don’t see much sun at this time of year. I told Barry that sometimes I get a headache on bright sunny days mid-winter. He replied that he did not. It’s probably yet another personal weird oddity.
Sweet chickadee
Bird flit and fly and sing by the feeder. Chickadees, goldfinch, juncos, nuthatches. When the blue jays fly in, watch out! The other birds retreat to the spruce and wait while the jay tosses seeds on the snow. Soon the little birds peck at the snow, enjoying the excess of that feisty jay.
Among oaks
Oh how deep shall the snow get this winter?
(Please do not answer that rhetorical question.)
Winter icicles
Oh how long shall the icicles reach?
(Please do not answer that rhetorical question.)
You can come over and help Barry shovel the roof. First one here gets a shovel! Up you go! I’ll make some hot chocolate for you.
Forest snow
Lake Superior Spirit 
The snow is deeper than knee deep down here, I can only imagine how much there is on the ground up there. But, at least you seem to be able to find the humor in it.
Barry said he hasn’t seen it this deep for years. He’s been on the roof shoveling this past half hour. I wouldn’t find humor if I had to shovel the roof today!
The other morning, when the plow guy was late, our neighbor called to warn us that the snow was “thigh-deep” in our shared drive. Those are mornings when even when 4WD drivers elect to wait for the plow guy!
Was it ice in the gas line, after all, with your tractor?
Yes, “thigh-deep” snow does sound like a rather accurate measurement, depending on one’s height. Barry thinks it was ice in the gas line. However, another plow or six will tell us if other electrical problems exist. Let’s hope not.
Hi Kathy!
We woke up to a new layer of snow here too—I think about 3 1/2 inches or so…enough to cover everything with clean fresh brightness (now that the sun is out and shining brightly!). The little birds (sparrows, juncos and chickadees) are loving the birdseed we put out for them—haven’t seen any blue jays but occasionally have starlings visit. They are all so lovely!
Enjoy your meal with friends tonight ♥
I am smiling, Brenda, thinking of your enjoyment of the little birds. Isn’t it wonderful when the snow shines and sparkles on the snow? Wishing you a lovely Sunday…
Yes it is so lovely ♥ Thank you, it is a nice day—mild, at 41 degrees and sunny. Alex will be spending the night at a friend’s house so I get lots of extra play and cuddle time with Gracie! 🙂 ♥
Kathy — I love your blog topper. If it’s been there for a while and I’m just now noticing, I apologize. If it’s brand spankin’ new and I’m quick-on-the-draw, yea me!
I love the photos you shared in today’s post. We had sunshine and snow yesterday — blindingly beautiful.
I’m trying my hand at “Mexican Quinoa Bake” for dinner tonight. I bet the meal at your friend’s home will be equally delicious — enjoy!
You were SO quick on the draw, Laurie! I just put the blog header on the day before yesterday. Decided it was time for something a little newer. Glad you liked the snowy photos. And you didn’t even have to get cold! (Also hope that Mexican Quinoa Bake was spectacular. Yum…)
Kathy – I’m glad to know I was Quick Draw McGraw on your topper. And yes, the Mexican Quinoa Bake for scrumpdilicious!
We have had very little snow this winter, which does not make me unhappy, except that will mean water shortages in the summer, which does make me unhappy.
Oh, I do sympathize with the water shortage scenario, Carol. There seems to be an upside and downside about everything, doesn’t there?
Oh my, snow up to your knees. Haven’t had that around here for quite a while. We are in a snow-then-melt cycle it seems. Snowing right now as I type, but I don’t think it will amount to much. That sap drop is quite interesting! It was stuck there in the summer time too?
My revised opinion after this morning–the snow is higher than our knees. We seem to be missing out on the melt cycle this winter. It seems to snow, then get frigid, then snow, then get frigid. As for the sap drop, yes, it’s been there since summer. I wonder why? Something must hold it intact..?
The problem with getting up on the roof is that you have to get down. Beautiful photos. When it’s sunny here in the winter that means it’s COLD. But pretty!
Lisa, Barry couldn’t even get UP on the roof this morning. It was awful. Way too deep. Had to bring the ladder around to the deck. I had to anchor it by standing on the bottom rung while he climbed and put a leg over into the deep snow. Getting down was a little challenging as well. Yep, sunny = cold, most days in these woods.
There are now three things that make me wish I didn’t have go to Illinois Wednesday night. I don’t care what Barry says, I am still envious of his great toys. As for your headaches remember … The future’s so bright you gotta wear shades.
Tee hee, John. You crack me up!
The sugar maple frozen syrup looks like a tear frozen in time. I,too, think your heading is very good. Is it a crab apple?
Awww, what a bittersweet interpretation about that sap droplet. Just changed the heading on Friday. It was one of the frozen winter apples from this post: https://upwoods.wordpress.com/2013/12/22/weekly-photo-challenge-one/
Thank you!
The sun was shining here today and three people came into the store complaining of blinding headaches…there must be something to it. It is a ridiculous feeling, isn’t it, to be tethered in snow so deep you feel like you’ll topple if you take a step high enough to move forward?! I’ve had to pay to have my driveway plowed seven times already…last winter it was only three or four times total! Nice post, Kathy!
Cindy, I am happy to hear that others experience this headache syndrome, too. (No, no, I am not really happy…but you know…it validates this somehow…) Yes, it’s a ridiculous feeling in reference to toppling. Do you think if we write enough snow posts that our readers will start to go crazy and get Cabin Fever too?
Oh please, dear Lord do not ever change the winters in Texas. So much snow and such short days. I think you have to be made of steel to deal with those winters year in and year out.
Getting the headache is a result of your brain and eyes trying to adapt to more light. I don’t think it is odd at all.
The photos are very, very good. Excellent in fact.
~yvonne
i just checked, Yvonne. Yes, it’s true, my fingers and toes HAVE turned into steel! Ha ha, just kidding. Thanks for liking the photos. I am not a real photographer–all I do is point & shoot (OK, and sometimes adjust the white balance and ISO and manual focus.) Enjoy your weekend…
I’m with Yvonne. Your photos are lovely. It’s snowing outside here now but there was not a flake on the ground a short while ago. Isn’t the sunshine wonderful ! We don’t see a lot of it here either. Wish I could come over and help with the shovelling.
Well, I am glad you enjoyed my little point-and-shoot adventure (with Ms. Canon Rebel) yesterday on the way to the mailbox, Ms. Sybil. No snow in Nova Scotia? Did it all melt away? How soon can you be here?
What a wonderful cheerful post in spite of endless snow!
What’s the old saying, Dor? If you can’t fight them–join them? (Or something like that?) If you gotta be in a certain place, you might as well learn to fall in love with it. Otherwise it’s going to be a long lifetime…
I think it was 2002 the last time we saw snow in Charleston SC. It is so rare we go out and play in it and take pictures. I think we had a sum total of an inch or two. LOL Love the pictures… Stay warm.
Glad you enjoyed the snowy pics, James. That’s been a lot of years since you’ve been able to photograph snow. Shall I wish you a little snowstorm down in Charleston?
Your wish came true Katy. Unfortunately we never saw one fleck of it in Charleston. All the snow stayed North and West of West Ashley and shut down everything. I got to see lots of cool pictures though.
Sorry you didn’t get it where you are, James. But glad you enjoyed some neat photos of the snow.
I just can’t even imagine! Love your attitude Kathy.
It’s hard to imagine indeed, Tammy! As for a good attitude…it’s the only thing that will make the deep snow enjoyable, that’s for sure.
Snow sure does look pretty in the sun!
I’ll gladly help Barry shovel the roof (sounds like it would be fun, actually!) but I prefer coffee or tea to hot chocolate 😉
We don’t have a lot of sunny days in mid-winter in Michigan, Michaela. (Right now it’s gray and snarly and cloudy and hissing snow.) So when that sun shines it’s a miracle! P.S. I lied about serving hot chocolate. It just sounded good. In actuality, all we have is tea or coffee. *grin*
The snow is gorgeous! Again, I miss it–though maybe could do without it in my boots. Didn’t know one would have to shovel the roof. Tell Barry to be careful!
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Kathy, do you know HOW cold snow is when it pours in your boots? WA-HOOEY! Barry went up on the roof today after some trials and tribulations (just enough so that he can write an entertaining column in this week’s paper.) I pray non-stop when he’s on that roof.
I got up at five this morning and I tried out the new books that I got at the library. One reeked of perfume, so glad that I didn’t so much care for the pages that I read. The other one was just awful! (goodness what if today is about stinking things?!) I went back to sleep. I heard clock towers tolling at seven and I didn’t wake until 8:48!!! There is gentle decorative snow falling, just a setting for a ‘nice’ winter day. The grass is again covered.
Kathy? Where are your snowshoes?! lol I was muttering that to myself when I got to the pail of ashes part before I read that you sank down that far into the snow.
How interesting, Elisa, about your early-morning reading. Barry was up at 4 a.m. reading a Chicago Tribune. As for the snowshoes, oops, I’m a bad girl. The problem is this: it takes longer to go to the shed, find the snowshoes, pull them over boots, strap them on and take off with said ash bucket. Then there’s the problem of trying to balance the ash bucket while on snowshoes. It seemed–at the time–an easier course to just attempt to wade through the snow. However, next time I may have to add those snowshoes and just do the extra work.
The last batch of snow missed us (woo hoo). My snowplowing brother is in the hospital, so I avoided a snowplowing problem … hoping he is back in the truck before the next snow fall.
As for the sap .. that is really cool. Amazing a sweet loving squirrel or woodpecker has not found this special treat, yet.
Bearyweather, I am so glad you didn’t get that last batch of snow. Especially with the snowplowing challenge! Sorry to hear about your brother being in the hospital. That is not good. Our back-up snowplow help has hurt himself, too, so if the tractor didn’t start we were down to Plan C (which hasn’t been determined yet.) Glad you enjoyed the sap picture. Yes, where are the animals?
Ok Kathy, not answering the rhetorical question, honest!! BUT I am putting on my wellies and preparing to help you with the shovelling. (you do believe me dontcha? 😉 ) Sitting here in the relative warmth of my dining room, typing away seems a far cry from your photo’s above, I know it is , but then again you’re just a click away eh? The frozen in time sap looks like Nature is holding it in reserve, ’til thaw comes, then all is back to normal. xx
Hi Pen! I just shoveled out the compost bin. Was looking everywhere for you…but you were no where in sight with your wellies. To think that this weather is likely to continue until April! Glad you’re warm in your dining room and that you avoided my rhetorical questions. *grin*
Kathy:
I will be glad to come to your place for the hot chocolate (decaff, please) but I will pass on shoveling your roof.
And, as always, I found your photos enjoyable to look at.
Nancy
Nancy, is it possible to get decaff hot chocolate? I didn’t know you could buy it. (I’ll pass on shoveling the roof, too, and leave it for Barry. My job is the deck and front porch and compost bin.) Glad you liked the photos.
The never-ending snow is amazing this season, isn’t it?! At the Nordic ski race yesterday in town, we trooped up the hill to get a better vantage point and sunk up to our hips! The frozen sap photo is my favorite.
Kat, we northerners should get some sort of survival award when THIS winter is over. Was just outside shoveling out the compost bin. You know, don’t repeat this, but it was 2 degrees outside and I feel *almost* refreshed. P.S. Glad you liked the sap picture.
I can relate!! We are back to single digit temps with wind chill advisory tonight, and as I went out to fill the bird feeders today, with the temps almost breaking double digits, thought “it’s not that bad out here!”
Hey there my thigh deep friend to be more accurate! oh the frozen drips of sap and the atherschlerotic tractor! So what WAS in the mailbox? I’m boiling up here in Ca. in the 70’s! silly… blooms coming and oh no… we’re going to be in trouble. Can you send some snow to the Sierras? You go shovel some snow and I’ll go stack some hay… bye!
Dearest Melinda, how THRILLED I am to see you here at the hearth of my blog, dear friend! An atherschlerotic tractor? Wow, will have to tell Barry that one. So what was in the mailbox? Property tax checks from taxpayer, I am afraid. Township work to do ! Sending you snowflakes AND love…
I just gave up composting at our vacation place. Husband was shoveling a path but it’s just too deep now. Glad I like winter!
Inger, I just shoveled a path to our compost bit fifteen minutes ago. It’s right next to where Barry plows with his tractor, so it’s still accessible. Wouldn’t it be terrible if you hated winter and lived in a place where the snow’s so deep?
What a lot of snow! But it’s also beautiful and peaceful.
You are right, Sheryl. There is a lot of snow, but it’s beautiful. Like so much of life, it’s both positive and a challenge.
Glad the tractor started again for you. We are in snow over our knees too. I don’t want to know how deep it’s going to get, so if you got any good answers, please don’t pass them along 😉
We got a bunch of snow last week and hadn’t gotten around to clearing it when our neighbors surprised us with a snowblower visit. (We usually use a Yooper scooper.) I baked them flourless cookies. I see that you’re offering hot chocolate. It must take goodies to get the snow removed 🙂 Perhaps we can just set out a plate for Santa?
No good answers on this end, Ms. Heather! I am so impressed with your neighbor’s snowblower visit. How kind of them! And you were also kind, to reciprocate with cookies. We were talking yesterday about how handy it would be to have a snowblower on the roof. But how would you get it up there? Do you have to shovel your roof?
We might have to do something about the roof over our breezeway this year. The rest of the house is pitched enough and gets enough sun that the snow doesn’t collect too thickly. The north side of the breezeway is looking worrisome though 😦 If you invent a snowblower for roofs, please let us know!
Hi Kathy- I really hate to tell you that it was 63 degrees here in Colorado yesterday. We are over the cold weather for a day or two and no snow for about a week. I have lived in several northern states so far in my life and never had that much snow as you guys get.YOur pictures are so pretty, at least you can get that out of all the snow.
Cousin Marion, I am very envious of your warm temperatures! This winter the snow is even deep in lower Michigan. We’re all in a deep freeze this year. The snow IS pretty, but it sure is a lot of work.
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I love your blogs. Would you please share what type of camera you have?
We have a home on Crystal Lake near Frankfort on Lake Michigan.
Suzanne, how kind of you to say so. For 75% of my photos I use a Canon Rebel. During other more impromptu times I use a Sony Cybershot. Glad to meet another lover of the Great Lakes.
I’m already so over winter. And we have weeks and weeks to go. Sigh. This weekend I tried to see how pretty the snow coming down was but all I could see was more slippery commutes to work. 😦
Dawn, I wouldn’t want to be driving your slippery commutes to work. That does not sound like fun. It’s much easier driving to work on back country roads, even if they are slippery. There aren’t hundreds of cars all coming and going in different directions. I remember the first trip down to Ann Arbor after living up here for many years. I was a nervous wreck!
Tell Barry he needs a snow rake. I’ll send you a photo of Bob in action with ours – but, not tonight – time to read in bed. No snow is forecast this week for Breckenridge. I told them to send it to you. We’re back in the mountains after our sunny week in the city. Just a couple days away gave me a new (better) outlook! Barry has quite the tractor. I bet he likes playing on it. Bob loves his John Deere but ours is lawn mower sized. Oh, gosh, now it’s not showing me my whole comment again so I don’t know if I’ve made mistakes. I think I wrote too much!
Barb, there is some reason why Barry can’t–or won’t–use a snow rake. I don’t remember why at this moment. Lots of people do around here. Maybe it’s the really high pitch of our roof? Don’t know. As for sending us your snow, you keep it out west! As for Barry’s tractor, he loved it for the first twenty years. Now it’s not as much fun as it was in his wild & crazy youth. Sometimes he dreams of a plow in a nice warm pickup truck…
That looks like one serious tractor – can’t imagine it freezing like that! Well done on getting it going again. Take care when you shovel snow from the roof, dear friends! Stay warm and safe!
The truth is, dear Reggie, I’m the spotter while Barry shovels the roof. To make sure he’s safe. Then I shovel off the deck and front porch from what’s fallen. At least it’s not snowing today! But it is icy cold again.
Want to trade houses for the remainder of winter? ❤
Stacy, you have NO idea how tempting that suggestion sounds right now!
Sometimes I get a headache on bright sunny days mid-winter, too. That’s why I wear my sunglasses on bright winter days, and why I prefer cloudy days filled with nothing but snowlight.
Your icicle picture brings back memories of the icicles that used to hang off the roof of my childhood home. My sister and I would jump as high as we could, trying to break one off. In our little world, the longer they got, the better our chances of snagging one. 🙂
Barbara, is it beautifully sunny today where you are? It is here. But still so icy cold. Thank you for sharing your childhood icicle memory. Smiling thinking about you and your sister jumping up to get icicles.
I know you’re probably sick to death of it, but I think your snow is beautiful. Easy for me to say since there is no snow here. I would sometimes get headaches from the bright sunlight bouncing around on the white snow, too.