Where'd You Go, Snow.

12-27-20 VERMONT: We did get a big rain on Xmas and over night, I guess an inch to 1.5 inches. The thermometer reached 60° for a high and a fog rose up from the ground that was melt-water mist. Most of the snow is gone including all the snow that was on the roofs. After the rain, it turned cold and froze everything that remained on the ground. Every hollow and depression in the ground was filled with rain water that subsequently froze.

The pasture is almost bare, and around the house, there’s a few inches of crusty, icy snow. The waterfall and brook thawed and were flowing. Actually, I filled a hole that developed on top of the waterfall with gravel. The ponds are otherwise still frozen solid.

High winds had been predicted, but didn’t appear. In the last two weeks, we had a big snow and a big rain, but almost no tree damage, no branches down.

We go back to NJ tomorrow.

During the rain, the roofs are clear, but the ground is misty.

The back pasture is free of snow and the pond is covered with rain.

Every dip and depression is a new pond.

The waterfall from the new pond dam has opened up.

The brook below the waterfall has cut into the ice on the old, lower pond.

The late afternoon sun shining on the thin layer of snow remaining in the woods and yard and waterfall.

The next day, the pasture is snowless.

The waterfall and brook in live action.

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Xmas Eve.

12-24-20 VERMONT: After more snow and cold, today it’s in the forties and everything is melting—benches and fences are emerging form the snow. There’s a drizzle, and water is accumulating on the ponds. We’re supposed to get a big rain tonight and tomorrow. It will wash away a lot of the snow, and if New England behaves as it usually does, what’s left will freeze solid after the rain.

We’ve been snowshoeing almost every day and the trails are almost highways now. The roofs on the houses and barns are metal and the snow is sliding off and crashing to the ground with roars and booms, which has Kaley, thunder phobic, terrified. THC drops help her a lot.

A few days ago in was warm enough to convert the powder snow to wet, packing snow—skiers call it mashed potatoes. The goldens turned into snow dogs, they were covered with snowballs from armpit to groin to all four feet and could barely drag it back to the house. It took us a half hour to comb them out. 

Snow coming off the roof means re-shoveling the deck and the doorsteps, which I have now done three of four times. It’s not so easy because the snow gets compacted into ice when it lands.

We missed the planetary conjunction like we missed the meteor shower because of overcast skies.

We have already started Holiday feasting with PIB’s, ML’s and caviar pie for lunch. It’s almost time for the Prosecco.

Judy and Shari snowshoeing across the dam.

Maizie fashioning snow balls.

Solstice bonfire at the neighbors, usually this is a big party.

Maizie testing the ice on a foggy morning.

Winter gear on the porch.

Maizie again taking her afternoon nap in early evening at a little after 4PM.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Blue Skies.

12-19-20 VERMONT: It has stayed cold, 12° now, and it was in the low twenties this afternoon. Yesterday we had a deep blue, cloudless sky, but today its getting overcast, and there might be more snow tomorrow.

We have been out on the snowshoes for short walks using the dogs trails as starters. They have been everywhere plowing or bounding through the deep powder—if only I stilled skied. Slogging in the deep powder is hard work until there is a packed trail. Yesterday we bought bags of food and a case of wine so we’re set for any kind of weather. 

We were shoveled out by Scott and plowed out by Eric. Here that’s only the first stage because on the roofs of the houses and garage, there’s as much snow as was already cleared. As soon as it warms up a bit, all that snow will slide off the metal roofs and need to be re-cleared.

We are now getting nuthatches and blue jays at the feeders. 

Bally plowing through the snow.

 

The trees are outlined by snowy branches.

I made this one my FB cover, here's the whole pic.

Judy and friends in the woods.

Crossing the dam for the new pond amid the shadows and low sun of early afternoon.

Mt Lafayette, about 30 miles to the NE blanketed in snow that will be there until March.

Lafayette in pink at sunset, 4 PM this time of year.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

My Pond Runneth Over.

12-17-20 VERMONT: We’ve been here for a few days, escaping the big storm in NJ. We were not expecting much here, the predictions were for 1-3 inches. As of midday, we have a foot and it’s still snowing. The trees are dumping snow, it’s sliding off the roof, the outdoor benches have disappeared. Never trust a forecast. 

When we left here in mid-November, the new, upper pond was two feet low, as it had been since May. Now, one month later, it’s full and the brook from that pond to the other pond is full of water. Ice actually, the waterfall and brook and both ponds are frozen—it was 0° yesterday morning. It was warmer today at 10° in the snow. 

I filled the feeders this trip for the first time since the spring and the bears in the neighborhood. I assume they’re fast asleep for the winter. There have only been a couple of chickadees so far. 

After we ran errands yesterday, I put out the snow clearing tools and the reflectors to guide the plowers clearing the driveway.

The dogs have been happy with the cold and now with the snow. Maizie, especially, like to lie outside on the deck in this weather.

Maizie before the snow.

The upper pond, waterfall and brook with ice extending down to the big pond.

The lower pond.

The pond with fox, caught by the game cam, in November.

A stag a few days later with the water level still low.

Bally walking carefully on the ice in the long shadows of early afternoon.

Early this morning, 7:30, at sunrise in dim light. 

At midday, brighter and deeper.

Saturday, December 12, 2020

First Snow.

12-12-20 SHORT HILLS: The last couple days have been mild, 50’s, and I have been outside doing some very end-of-the-season chores—removed leaves from the pool cover, did another round of clearing deadfall from the shrubs, washed the skylights over the sunroom, trimmed over-grown shrubs behind the house, and other stuff I don’t remember at the moment. 

It was supposed to rain today, but hasn’t yet. It did snow a few days ago. We got a dusting that was gone by the next afternoon, but it looked pretty for a few hours. I forgot to put the glass rain gauge away and found it broken from the recent freeze. 

The squirrels remain baffled by the new feeder formation—could it be that they’re out-foxed? I’ll bet they figure some way to get back on the feeders.

Foretaste of the season.

This much is fine. 

Squirrel stuck foraging form the ground-so far.

I posted this on FB a few days ago, after a long walk, so it's old news, but I wanted the pic on the blog.

Monday, December 07, 2020

Winter is Coming.

12-7-20 SHORT HILLS: We are getting regular rain here now and, I think, the drought we had last summer is over here. In VT, however, the precip total is still way below normal—there was about 1.5 inches in November. BTW this November was the warmest November on record, and 2020 will probably set another warmest year record.

In the back yard, at Judy’s urging, I bought a pole for the feeders and set it up so that it’s not under a tree, and, so far, the squirrels haven’t gotten to the seeds. The birds had no trouble adapting to the new location.

December is giving us our first colder weather with some below freezing temps. We walked this morning with Lynn in Loantaka Brook Park, which is a wetland with streams and ponds in the woods off the trails. It’s a nice level walk on paved paths. The ponds had a thin cover of ice.

The first taste of winter in December is always invigorating because of the novelty and all the holidays and Xmas music, but once New Year’s has come and gone, it’s just a slog through the winter doldrums. I used to be OK with winter because I skied and snowshoed and didn’t much mind the weather, but now it’s just two months too cold, windy and icy.

Mallard on our Sunday walk.

The new backyard pole, equipped with a squirrel baffle. The chickadees were the first to find it.

The front yard feeders are still hanging from the apple tree, but a bit higher so the deer can't reach them, but the squirrels still have no problems stealing from that downy woodpecker.

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