Emerges, battered but unbowed.
There was an awful lot of snow. When the great fall came we spent two and a half hours digging ourselves out. And now, nearly two weeks on, there is still quite a bit lying.
The wind piled great drifts, as high as the stone pigsties. The kitchen garden was one great surging sea of snow. Usually it looks like this, in fact this picture was taken a couple of days before the snow hit.
Today it still looks like this.
Ian spent hours and hours digging and shovelling and hiking in and out of here over and through the snow to the hens. They spent the worst of the days confined to their house and then nearly a week with access only to the enclosed run. On Tuesday Ian and a friend's son dug out the deep drifts which had buried the fencing for the larger run and reinstated it.
It's a good job that only the large house at the end is in use at the moment as the two smaller houses which we use for younger birds had filled right up with snow. Now the hens can roam more freely again but even the part of their run where the snow has gone looks like a battleground.
Yes you are right. There is a hen outside the fence there. One of our escape artists had made a bid for more grass, little realising that all that was on her side was quite a lot more snow.
I had snow up to my ears so it was a great thing that first of all on Friday we had a lovely visit for a few days from younger daughter and her fiance with her bouncy Labrador, Bess. Bess loved the snow and loves ice and generally reminded me that for young creatures snow is fun.
And then the next day our most frequent and very welcome visitors to the holiday cottage returned for this year's visit. Their two boys also loved the snow and made great use of it.
And by the middle of this week enough snow had very slowly begun to melt for the flower beds to begin to appear again. Everything looks thoroughly battered.
But crocuses are bravely having a go and in the orchard the Tenby daffodils are shrugging off the snow.
But can we have some warmth now please, a gentle wind from the south and some soft showers and some sun on our backs so that the garden can shake off winter and get on with the business of spring.
The wind piled great drifts, as high as the stone pigsties. The kitchen garden was one great surging sea of snow. Usually it looks like this, in fact this picture was taken a couple of days before the snow hit.
Today it still looks like this.
Ian spent hours and hours digging and shovelling and hiking in and out of here over and through the snow to the hens. They spent the worst of the days confined to their house and then nearly a week with access only to the enclosed run. On Tuesday Ian and a friend's son dug out the deep drifts which had buried the fencing for the larger run and reinstated it.
It's a good job that only the large house at the end is in use at the moment as the two smaller houses which we use for younger birds had filled right up with snow. Now the hens can roam more freely again but even the part of their run where the snow has gone looks like a battleground.
Yes you are right. There is a hen outside the fence there. One of our escape artists had made a bid for more grass, little realising that all that was on her side was quite a lot more snow.
I had snow up to my ears so it was a great thing that first of all on Friday we had a lovely visit for a few days from younger daughter and her fiance with her bouncy Labrador, Bess. Bess loved the snow and loves ice and generally reminded me that for young creatures snow is fun.
And then the next day our most frequent and very welcome visitors to the holiday cottage returned for this year's visit. Their two boys also loved the snow and made great use of it.
And by the middle of this week enough snow had very slowly begun to melt for the flower beds to begin to appear again. Everything looks thoroughly battered.
The hellebores have been weighted to the ground.
The poor primroses look like they have been thumped.
But crocuses are bravely having a go and in the orchard the Tenby daffodils are shrugging off the snow.
But can we have some warmth now please, a gentle wind from the south and some soft showers and some sun on our backs so that the garden can shake off winter and get on with the business of spring.
You certainly did have some snow there, Elizabeth, no wonder you had to dig yourselves out. I'm sorry to see your battered spring flowers, but the crocuses and daffodils look beautiful. And we've had escaping chickens, too; the grass is always greener for them (even in snow). They can never jump back as well as they jump out.
ReplyDeleteNever quite sure how our chickens get out as you rarely see them escape!
DeleteGoodness you have had a lot of snow.
ReplyDeleteI think your plants will recover quickly as the snow will have insultated them from cold winds and frost which we have had.
Heres hoping the sun will shine soon!
I am hoping that if the temperature goes up a few degrees everything will raise its head again.
DeleteHeroic work on Ian's part getting to the hens - ours sat and sulked grumpily.
ReplyDeleteAnd Yes, Yes, Yes! To you final sentence. Some son on our backs would be wonderful. I wonder how long it will take the land to warm up?
Feels like it will take forever to warm up. We have done none of the things we usually do by Easter other than to sow some tomatoes in a little heated greenhouse.
DeleteYou had a snow mountain, not a drift!
ReplyDeleteUnbelievably, we are having snow flurries in Devon right now as I type. It won't amount to anything (I hope), it's just so depressing to watch.
Depressing is the word! Enough, enough!
DeleteNo doubt about it . . . it snowed in the Welsh Hills . . . I hope your signs of Spring continue to flourish!
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure that spring is out there somewhere!
DeleteI love these photos--even with all the snow your garden looks so lovely. That kitchen garden! I hope you get some warm, spring weather soon!
ReplyDeleteOh me too! It doesn't look too lovely just now, more a battered wreck with potential!
DeleteHear hear to that last sentiment, Elizabeth. We have escaped the snow here - just the occasional flurry, the last one this morning, but nothing to cause the slightest problem. Here it is the wind that chills everything and dries everything out. We've had only a single day's rain in the last month or so. The buds are shrivelling up.
ReplyDeleteWe have had the wind too fennie. I was looking at my photos of this time last year and it looks like another country!
DeleteElizabeth, your photos and descriptions really do continue to give us a great idea of how winter continues to cling to your area. It's great to see the hens having a little more freedom and funny to see the escape artist on the other side of the fence. Have those hens been thanking you for your tender care by producing some eggs?
ReplyDeleteOver in Central Park, only lingering snowdrops and brilliant crocus were in bloom last weekend. I'm hoping to see some daffodils later on today. Still quite chilly. though the lawns are quite green.
Thank you for the info about those heavy stones.
xo
The hens are laying pretty well. We are getting about five eggs a day which suits me fine. I live eggs!
DeleteSo nice to see a svelte Labrador. They do so love mud and puddles. Whenever I see Crocus the word "indomitable" springs to mind. I love the pristine surface of the snow (in a picture. I wouldn't want to experience it in person ever again).
ReplyDeleteThe dog is a fox red Labrador from working dog lines so she is quite slim. It is nice isn't it? So many pet labs are allowed to get very chunky!
DeleteCrumbs, you really have taken the brunt of it. We only saw a few flurries here, that soon melted away. Hooray for emerging mostly unblemished on the other side, I hope that spring sweeps in now with a flourish.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly what we need, a sweeping in
DeleteWe didn't actually get the snow here, but I still find this cold weather rather frightening. I have just been looking at my blog for this time last year where I did a post on 2nd April which is full of cherry blossom and magnolia that I actually took on the 31st March. This has shocked me, and it just shows how late the spring is this year.
ReplyDeleteYes, we had blossom this time last year too. Mind you,I think here we were early last year and staggeringly late this!
Deletethis snow has been horrendous hasn't it
ReplyDeleteBeautiful but far too harsh for living with rather than looking at!
DeleteI wonder if you have ever had snow this heavy and late before. My memories of Oswestry don't include late snow like this. I hope you get some sunny weather soon. Autumn kicking in here. 3mls of rain yesterday - hopefully more to come.
ReplyDeleteIt is late for quite this much snow Susan. I think we often have flurries but not usually great dumps of snow!
DeleteWow Elizabeth. I hadn't realised that it was that bad up there. Someone at work lives over the main road from you and tried to get into work over the moors when the snow first fell. Says that because the radio traffic report didn't say the road was closed, that he thought it would be open!
ReplyDeleteIt is meant to be warmer over the weekend with less wind. Will keep my fingers crossed xxx
What does Henry think of all the white stuff? My cat runs around like a mad thing in it.
Henry did not like it! He had to stay inside far more than usual because it was so deep. Think he is as pleased as I am to see the back of it.
DeleteI've been complaining all day about the grey skies and mist here in Seoul, but I'm counting my blessings after seeing all your photos! What amazes me is that, despite all that snow, you still have daffodils and primroses! The only things blooming here are the azaleas - which are gorgeous, but I'm ready for some variety. The weather folk tell us that the cherry blossoms will soon be at their peak; last year, the week they were supposed to be at their best, it rained, so I'm hoping for better luck this year.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the daffodils and primroses were all set to do their usual spring thing when the snow came and thumped them flat! Recovering now though.
DeleteNot quite as much down here in the valley ... but now the sun has been shining for a few days only the shadiest north facing spots are still snow covered. Such crazy weather! Glad you're unbowed, even if you're spring flowers aren't, poor things.
ReplyDeleteThey are starting to raise their heads again. Just need a week or so of warmth and they will all recover.
DeleteYou have been living in a terrible, cold wedding cake! Creatures all around the British Isles have been suffering. Glad your hens survived. On the other hand . . . I wish we had had enough snow here to make such a beautiful snowman. We had enough to make a footprint.
ReplyDeleteIt felt like that! The wedding cake is perfect. Nearly all gone now though.
DeleteSo, the grass is greener on the other side, even for hens! Spring is trying to come to East Anglia and surely, too, to North Wales.
ReplyDeleteSpring is trying. We had quite a warm day yesterday and it began to nose its way in.
DeleteI don’t remember seeing that much snow since I left San Francisco. There was no snow there but for New Year we would go to Lake Tahoe where there was a lot of snow. But we only stayed a couple of days and left – you had to live with it, and after a while it must get old. Spring is here though, at least here in Georgia, but it will be totally in your area very soon.
ReplyDeleteI keep watching the weather forecast and it does seem to be out there somewhere!
DeleteWishes for a return to spring blowing your way on a warm Pacific breeze. That sort of after-Easter snow dump seems particularly unfair to me. I hope Spring comes back and that all those flowers stand up straight again.
ReplyDeleteSurely the weather should know that by April you have had enough of winter? As you say, just not playing fair!
DeleteHi Elizabeth! I've been complaining about mud and rain and how late spring is this year but then I see your pictures and read your words and understand that there's always somebody feeling worse than me... you and your hens for instance! :-)
ReplyDeleteI wish your cold spell ends in no time.
Alberto.
I think spring is hanging around on the fringes of the garden now. I just want it to come bursting right in!
DeleteEek, you've had it tough Elizabeth. I've just come back from a walking trip in the North but manged to escape the worst of the snow by walking east - kind of worked. I guess you didn't have that option. I'm beginning to think that a warm, gentle wind from the south is a myth-y legend thing. Dave
ReplyDeleteI saw you were walking the coast to coast! What weather to do it in. Hope you enjoyed it!
DeleteMy goodness, you really did have snow, didn't you! It's been lovely and sunny here, but bitterly cold, I'd love to feel some warmth now.
ReplyDeleteThe bitter cold is just fading now but still not enough actual warmth!
DeleteYour photos are lovely. Here in Montreal there are areas that are still full of snow and some places it has melted. It takes a while for the snow to melt.
ReplyDeleteI always feel that we in the Uk shouldn't moan about snow. Canadians now, they know all about it!
DeleteWOW, we've had some sunshine and as we're sheltered warmth too. Amazing what a bit of height and a few miles North can bring.
ReplyDeleteIt is warming up, just not fast enough for me!
DeleteI can't believe that you got Maine amounts of snow! We still have some clumps too melting but not as many blooms. I shall enjoy your spring vicariously.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a Maine winter. I think you are more set up for it over there and than we are here where it is a rarity!
Delete