Friday, December 16, 2016

Snowy views from snowshoes...



  



The snow started falling late last night and has continued all morning.  So far we have 7-8 inches of snow on the ground, and it's still falling so we'll see how the totals are.  I decided the chicken coop needed a layer of barley hay on the floor for a little more insulation against the cold.  We're expecting the temps to fall below zero for the next couple nights and I don't want the egg production to start falling off from cold feet.  I'm so proud of my girls as they continue to produce 21-23 eggs every single day despite the cold.  I've been gathering eggs early -- by noon or 1:00 each day so the eggs don't freeze in the nests.  CarpenterSon fixed a loose door, weather stripped, and got the coop a little more snug. I'm sure it does help.  The heat lamp keeps the water bucket from freezing over and adds a wee bit of heat.

I decided that the snow was deep enough, particularly in the trees, to break out the snow shoes this morning.  I had been trying to walk in the tree patches but kept punching through the snow drifts, and that makes for hard walking trudging.  I strapped on my snowshoes and headed back out for a hike.  What fun I had.  Although the temperature was around 5 degrees, I didn't feel cold at all.  I had my wool pants on, wool socks on my feet, a wool buff around my neck, the handmade wool cap on my head from OnlyDaughter, and wool gloves on my hands.  I was just short of being a complete sheep!  With the work of snowshoeing along with being bundled up so well, I kept my body quite warm and toasty.  I really didn't think I'd be able to tolerate being outside so long, but with nearly no wind today, it didn't feel so bad.  I made a few tumbles over snowdrifts that I didn't see very well.  One of my problems is that I like to gawk around while I walk and so when a drift banks off steep, I fall down it.  No injuries, just a lot of snow stuck to my pants and coat.  It was kind of like remembering how to drive in the first snow of the season.

The first picture is one of the tree patches were I walk.  Very Winterwonderland-ish, isn't it?  Next is a picture of a bunny cave in the snow, and after that is a pic of one-of-many jackrabbits that were scampering around the trees.  You can see the tracks everywhere and even wide bunny trails where lots of feet tamp down a rabbit super-highway.  The white tail deer make their homes in the shelter belts too, especially when it gets cold.  Sue, my dog, enjoyed the romp through the snow, but she was eager to get her paws warmed up when we finally went home.  The wood fire was so nice to warm up against.  Are you getting snow and cold?  It sounds like everyone is going to get a little taste of this Arctic blast.

12 comments:

  1. What a fun walk!!! It looks beautiful. It is cold and so much snow.
    I would love to go snowshoeing.
    Have a wonderful weekend. It sounds very nice Jody.

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  2. Love experiencing your cold snowshoe walk from the warmth of my family room. My son is flying to eastern Washington to help my other son complete their move in frigid weather, oye. Hope they have lots of wool to stay warm in. Have a cozy weekend, Jody!

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  3. That sounds fun! It's supposed to be very cold here tomorrow.

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  4. I can't wait to get outside tomorrow! It has been a long miserable week and I need the get outside. I love jackrabbits. We have one that hangs around here. You have more snow than we have. So far I'd say about 4 inches. Merry Christmas.

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  5. It was 29° when I woke - that might have been as cold as it got :-) and I will be pleased if it never gets lower all winter! However, I well remember the fun of snowshoeing some years ago on a sunny and cold day, so I can relate to your joy. And you know how to stay warm like a sheep.

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  6. What a fun walk Jody! I like the thought of you being dressed from head to toe in warm woolly clothes as you walk! The bushes and trees are useful as shelters for the animals and as wind breaks. It's good that the chickens are well in the coop and producing lots of eggs for your cooking. We are expecting strong winds and heavy rain coming over the Atlantic by tomorrow so we eagerly wait for our daughter to arrive today after a four hour drive from her home. Thank you for coming by my blog and leaving a kind message. Every blessing to you and your dear family this Christmas season.

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  7. I love that little avenue of trees you walk through. The hen's look well-cared for. The hay should help a lot. It looks like you had a wonderful walk and the wood stove at the end is always welcome! A blessed Christmas to you and your family. :)

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  8. A beautiful winter wonderland! I had a tiny listen to the women in the post prior and loved their voices and the lullaby.
    Merry Christmas, Jodi, to you and yours; may it contain wondrous blessings.

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  9. Your walk sounded a great adventure Jody, and the pics are lovely. We are having very mild weather here in England.
    Hope you have had a blessed Christmas. Ann x

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  10. We are professional in the marketing of caps, socks and gloves or mufflers. You can buy the woollen caps and also can get woollen gloves. We also provide the gents socks and ladies socks. Here are also options for the woollen caps, kids gloves, sports socks, ankle socks, no show socks and footsie socks

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  11. What fun! I'm going backwards, reading your posts, so I read about your after-Christmas adventures on show shoes too, and how you could walk up INTO the tree branches! How fascinating!! And to look at those same branches in July and think, "I walked up there." No, we do not have snow, but I certainly understand the effect of wind on how long one can stay outdoors :) I'm glad you had a still day. It makes a surprising difference, doesn't it? Glad you have a WARM fire.

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  12. Oh, BTW -- I gasped when I saw that top photo, it is so beautiful. Do you mind sharing photos? I certainly understand if you don't want to, but if you don't mind, I'd love to put that on my blog too. It's a stunning picture.

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