More Snow!

 Today we got a few more inches of snow. I measured about 3 in. this morning and during the day we probably got another couple of inches. The good news is that it has been quite cold so the snow is the very light, fairy dust variety. It builds up, but it isn't super heavy like it gets when the temperature is warmer. I think tomorrow is going to be a tad warmer and, with luck we'll see some sunshine, but only tomorrow and Thursday. Then, on Friday there may be more weather coming our way.

Here is a picture of my front deck - the snow is piled almost four feet high along the sidewalk, and where I've shoveled it off the deck, the piles are now nearly to deck level, which is four feet off the ground. I'm going to have to work harder to clear the snow pretty soon, if we don't get some warm days to settle the snow a bit. I can still use the push and dump method to clear the deck, dumping the snow off my shovel under the bottom railing, but there won't be room to do that very soon.

The next picture is my back deck - much smaller, but it doesn't get shoveled off like the front deck. The snow has curled over the railing and will eventually fall off when it gets heavy enough.

 Our snowbanks are getting pretty high, too. Jamie plows the snow onto the lawn beside the garage so he will have room for more as the winter goes on. I clear the top of the driveway in front of the garage doors so Jamie can reach it easier with his plow. This picture was taken today at about noon and after I finished clearing my little patch, we had another inch or so of snow fall before Jamie came with his plow a couple hours later.

This fellow is a "regular" at my hanging bird feeder. I thought I had figured out the ideal squirrel guard using a plastic pie pan to cover the suet block, but he figured that out within minutes of my hanging it up. They are agile acrobats, and pretty wily. He/she probably has a family hanging out someplace warm under the snow as there are  tunnels under the snow. The entrances show up every day or so when the squirrel pokes the snow away and comes out to get more food. There's one hole under the drain pipe next to the house, and another about five feet away next to a cedar tree. Another one is now covered with so much snow I don't think it can be used, but it was conveniently next to a large slanted rock that I suspect shelters a fairly well-stocked squirrel nest. I'm sure they are all interconnected with tunnels reaching out in all directions towards possible food caches, and they are also handy by in case of danger. 

I saw this guy darting behind the big rock this fall carrying bright red crab apples in his mouth. He got into the habit of coming onto the deck just to check for possible snacks - sometimes startling me when I was sitting out there. Without Woody around, squirrels and birds are feeling much safer and get pretty bold. 

I have hazelnut trees on the lower lawn, but I have never been able to gather any. The same is true of the grape vine on the back lawn. As soon as the nuts and fruit are ready to harvest, they are gone. Somehow, the birds and squirrels know the exact instant these treasures are ripe! Bon appetit!