Snowy Sunday Morning - Again!

I awoke this morning around 7:30 AM and glanced out the window. Snow! Just as the forecast had predicted, it had started snowing overnight and was still at it. We had about an inch of accumulation  in all, before it stopped around 9:30 AM. Just enough snow to turn the world white once again this Winter. And now they are calling for more snow to fall tonight as well as forecasting more snow next Sunday! The groundhog was right and clearly Mother Nature is not done with this Winter weather business quite yet.

Spinach Germination on a Snowy Morning

This morning we woke up to snow. It wasn't cold enough for the snow to stick, but the air was full of white, fluffy flakes. It lasted until about 10 AM and then we just had off and on again rain, with a few sun breaks.

I took advantage of a break in the weather to lift up the remay cover and check on my bed of spinach. It had been two weeks since I planted the bed and I was anxious to see if anything had yet germinated. I was so happy to see rows of little green spinach plants in half of the bed!

I planted the right side of the bed with 4 rows of "Gazelle". I have 25 plants up today and they look good. I can also see a few more just breaking through the soil, so I am confident that they haven't all sprouted. On the right side of the bed I have 4 rows of "Abundant Bloomsdale". At this point, I only have 3 plants that have germinated. I am hoping this is just a variety that takes a bit longer. The weather certainly hasn't been conducive to great germination, even for cold tolerant spinach. So I will sit back and wait, hoping that next week's look under the remay finds more germination in the spinach bed.

A young plant of "Abundant Bloomsdale".

Iras, Day #2

We awoke to rainfall this morning but unfortunately it was more freezing rain. The Winter Storm Warning had changed to a Freezing Rain Warning and was extended until 4 PM today. That time frame was just about right. I bundled up around 4 PM and went for a walk around the property. The temperature had finally gotten above freezing and I could heard dripping water everywhere. Once in a while a tree would dramatically dump part of its load of ice and snow with a crash.

Thankfully we didn't get as much ice accumulation as we did in Mid-December but it still coated everything. The last of the crab apples looked especially pretty encapsulated in ice.

The red branches of a young maple tree. 

The Douglas Fir trees were all coated in a mix of snow and ice.

I ran into two does during my hike. I feel for them. It must be difficult to find much to eat when the world is all covered in snow and ice.

Above, a stand of hazelnut brush and below the wreath on our front gate. The snow on the ground  was definitely getting slushier during my walk. Here's hoping the temperature continues to rise as predicted and this all disappears tomorrow.

Winter Storm Iras

As predicted, Winter Storm Iras rolled into town early this morning. This storm started down in Douglas County and moved northward, bringing both freezing rain and snow. We started the day with freezing rain but thankfully not too much. Then around 10 AM, the snow moved in. The weather service reports we received 4.5" and then it turned back into freezing rain.

By this evening, all of the snow is now covered in a light crust of ice. The low is suppose to be 25 tonight and the Winter Storm Warning has now been extended until 6 AM Sunday. Sigh. I am really getting tired of freezing rain and ice, and it's only January 7th! At least it made for a lovely view tonight on my walk around at dusk. All of the Christmas lights glowed against the backdrop of whites and grays.

It's Snowing

When we awoke this morning, there was a bit of snow on the ground and it was snowing. It continued to snow on and off until around 2 PM this afternoon. The airport reported 4.5" which set a record for snowfall on January 4th. The old record was just 2", set back in 1901. Now our concern is the temperature. It doesn't look like it is expected to get above freezing for the next two days! That means all of this snow isn't going anywhere and driving could be very tricky.

A Touch of White

When I woke this morning, the outside world was dusted in a covering of white ice pellets. The sky is slate grey and it's cold once again. There is now a Winter Weather Advisory through Monday at 10:00 AM which includes a forecast for freezing rain later in the day. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it doesn't happen. After a cold but pleasant walk down to the big garden to fill the bird feeder, I have retreated back into the warm house to spend this last day of my holiday weekend resting and reading.

Nine Days Later

It has been nine days since our big December 6th snowfall. But it has only been three days since the temperature finally got above the freezing mark. While the snow is now mostly gone in town, we still have quite a bit left on our property. While it has completely disappeared from the trees and shrubs, the shaded areas on the ground are still covered with a few inches of snow.

I walked down to my big garden to fill up the bird feeder. As you can see, the garden is still mostly covered in white. I am reminded of yet another reason that this is perhaps not such an ideal place to garden! I am sure the Native Americans has some saying about not planting in the last place the snow resides!

I found a nice set of these tracks. I am pretty sure that they belong to a raccoon.

During this incredible cold spell, I have been very concerned about my garlic. I planted it late and it was only in the ground maybe ten days before the temperatures dropped. The last time that I checked on it, I had 10 "Chenook Red" bulbs up and none of the "Russian Red"  bulbs up. I know that some varieties of garlic are originally from the Ukraine and garlic as a whole is very, very cold hardy. But my garlic wasn't planted very deep and it didn't have a protective cover of mulch. 

So I was very please today when I pulled back the remay tunnel and saw a bunch of healthy green shoots! I counted 15 "Chesnook Red", so all of those bulbs are now up and growing. I also counted 4 "Russian Red" garlic shoots. So, even during this bitterly cold weather, the garlic has continued to grow. I still have 8 more "Russian Red" that have yet to come up but I am not longer worried. I bet when I check again around New Year's Day, I will have 100% of the crop accounted for. Garlic is tough stuff!

A Cold Beautiful Sunrise

Another cold morning; the low hit 9 degrees. But as this arctic cold front lingers over our region, it is also keeping the storms away. With such clear skies, each morning and evening we have been treated to beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Somehow the pink is even prettier set against all of the white snow still on the ground and in the trees.And speaking of snow....our poor little conifer down by the main gate, that we decorated with lights, is completely covered in a dome of powder! It actually looks pretty cool at night!

A Walk in the Snow

It was so nice, after yesterday's 8" snowfall, to have the whole weekend off to enjoy it! With the temperature not expected to climb above freezing all weekend, I will have two days off to play in the snow.

I got up early and took some pictures before the sun had risen over the hill.

With no wind, everything stayed caked and covered in snow.

I started my hike down the driveway. I think this must be deer tracks coming out of the woods.

The tree branches looked so pretty outlined in white.

The only marks in the snow where tire trails and animal prints.

We decorated our front gate last weekend. It certainly looks festive covered in a blanket of powdery snow.

Looking down the road toward town.

And looking the opposite way. Not a car in sight!

I walked in the peaceful silence down to my big garden. 

The blue gate glows in the fresh snow.

A perfect blanket over my garden. Once again, I am so glad I have all of my dahlias dug and safely stored away. I know that I would have now lost any that were still left in the frozen ground. Once in a while hard work does pay off!

We had a great year for wild rose hips. The hedgerow between the garden and the road was full of them this Fall. They look beautiful in the snow.

These tracks came out of the forest, went across the garden, an disappeared into the hedgerow. I am pretty sure it was a brush bunny.

Climbing back up the driveway. The sky was a perfect, clear cobalt blue.

I spent a good deal of the day filling all of the bird feeders. With the combination of a heavy snowfall, and the long cold spell which we are experiencing, it is so important for the birds to have plenty of food available. This little male downy woodpecker was at the peanut feeder off and on all day. After my long hike a took a cue from Parvati and went inside to get warm myself.