It Just Stays Cold and White

Winter seems to have such a stranglehold on the area this year.  We haven't really even had a significant meltoff in over a month and a half, and they say January is the coldest we've seen in quite some time.  It was below zero again this morning, even though yesterday it got up into the 20's and I was able to scrape the inch of ice off of most of the driveway finally. 

Rabbit damage is terrible - some things will be chewed down to the ground.  The little Weigala that is planted near the gazebo is just a couple of stems now - now sure how long that will take to come back.  Seems like we will have to start putting more protection in place in the late fall from  now on if there's going to be this much snow every year. 

The rabbit and squirrel "highways" are deepening, since we haven't gotten a lot of  new snow in the last several weeks.  You can really see their routes.   I also found a bit of the nesting material that had fallen from a squirrel nest that's up in the willow tree.  I imagine they will manage to stay warm anyway - probably will cut more stuff from my plants.

Wednesday night I heard the sump pump downstairs run for the first time in quite awhile, and I feared that it wouldn't make it out to the creek.  But yesterday I walked over to the outlet and found that it was, indeed, still open.  That will be good if ever things really do start to melt.  And since I was out, I took a few more shots of things that are still beautiful  The colors are a bit monotonous this time of year, but some form and structure still survives.  

 

A Long Slide in Just One Day

Yesterday at this time it was over 40 degrees, and the biggest problem we had was controlling the melting from the roof on the north side to try to keep the porch clear of ice and icicles. Nancy delivered Dad here around noon in order to get on the road quickly for her drive back to Chicago. A big storm was due. Supposed to be the worst day of the winter so far. Sure didn't seem like it.

Well, this morning it is 20 degrees below zero, with 2 or 3 inches of new snow blowing around in little swirls. I think we lucked out on the snow, most of the precipitation fell as rain or sleet before it got cold enough for snow. But it looks like winter is back with a vengence, after just a two day warm-up. At least it got the snow off the shrubs, and lowered the piles at the side of the driveway a bit so it will be easier to shovel today.



Before the melt and freeze, last weekend when the yard was still blanketed with clean white snow over a foot deep, I snapped a shot of one of the friendly squirrels who steal seeds from our birdfeeders. And also the evidence of their route from the creekside willow in to the gazebo and then over to the seeds.