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.