Waiting for Spring

 

Four days before the snowstorm of last week hit our property was bare of snow but cold enough that any standing water froze into a small ice patch. So we thought we would take advantage of the bare hard ground and get some work done before spring.

 

In 2008 we had an unbelievable ice storm that snapped trees like they were twigs and we’ve been cleaning up our forest since. We had one area left to be cleaned up and thought we would take advantage of the ground being frozen to get it done. We wanted it frozen since trucks and an excavator would be going across a large part of our field and we didn’t want the lawn chewed up.

 

This last corner needed major work and it was hard to get to since grape vine would grow up and around all those trees come spring and hide everything from view. Since the grape vine was out of control we decided now was the time to have it ripped out and the broken trees removed.

 

Since we had the crew here we thought we would have them take out a bunch of pin cherry trees that had fallen apart. These type of trees grow extremely fast and they aren’t strong trees and once they reach their maximum height they start breaking apart making them dangerous to be near.

This is where the excavator came into action and started de-stumping. Fairly easy to do since the permafrost was only about four inches thick.
 

 

The stumps were hauled away since they don’t burn but there were still a lot of branches to be burned. That fire is still burning two weeks after it started and we’re now calling it Mount Vesuvius. Don’t worry it’s safe since fire doesn’t travel across frozen land.

 

 

Come spring we plan on planting a variety of apples trees in this upper area between the forest and the lawn.

Just behind Dylan dog is where most of the work was done and now all cleaned up and we couldn’t be happier. The whole left side where the drive is, not ours, will be planted to give us back our privacy. We’ll start planting randomly with pines and work in with flowering trees and shrubs blocking off any view the neighbors have into our yard.
 

We really lucked out weather wise being able to get this work done before spring and not messing up our lawns. Now I wonder if I could get that excavator back to dig all the holes we’ll need for the trees? My back is already aching at the thought!
 

I hope everyone has a wonderful short week, stay safe and warm!

 

XXX

~Debra~

Three feet and counting.....

The weathermen said there was a “potential” for three feet of snow but we didn’t think it would really happen. Not really all that unusual for New England so I’m not really sure what all the hoopla was about on the news. We kept hearing words like massive, historic, monster but really it’s pretty much normal for us at least once a year. So camera in hand I thought it would be fun to get a few pictures for those of you not use to living in this much snow. It started off innocently enough Friday morning with just barely a dusting, taken at seven in the morning.

 

By Friday night at 5:30 not much more snow had fallen since the morning and as you can see from the foot tracks we could still walk around easily.

 

But I guess for once the weathermen were right about the snow, seven in the morning on Saturday, 24 hours later and we woke up to a different landscape.

 

 

The husbands truck at 5:30 Friday night…..

 

The husbands truck at 7:00 Saturday morning. Have you noticed the snow on the front hood of his truck is higher then the actual roof of the truck?

 

 

Dylan watching Dad shovel from the porch this morning. We aren’t able to sweep the snow off the porch since the snow at ground level is higher then the front porch so it’s going to have to wait where it sits.

 

Thanks goodness our plow guy had been here but mister man still had to shovel out to the open plowed drive. Poor Dylan needed some private time and was barking asking Dad to shovel faster. See how much higher the snow is compared to Dylan’s back? Dylan is 29” tall.

 

The mounds of snow we have around here blocks everything from view for Dylan and he wasn’t thrilled…..

 

Until Dad brought out the snow scoop and was teasing Dylan, he likes dropping his jolly ball into the scoop and barking at it.

 

(Please people don’t email me about how chubby Dylan looks. Dylan weighs 82 pounds but has more hair then God. He get snow in the layers of hair from rolling around in it and it puffs up making him look enormous. Dylan is the perfect size!)

This is pretty much what it’s doing now outside and will be snowing like this until four this afternoon. So I’m staying inside by the wood stove and enjoying a book and a little leisure time while the men are outside playing in the snow.

 

I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday and if you live in the northeast be safe and have fun in the snow!

 

XXX

~Debra~