St. Valentine's Week Storm Photos

This storm will be one that I will remember for a long time.  On TV, the weather forecaster said it would be the storm that people will remember about their childhood.

I measured a final 15 inches on our back deck but snow drifts were a lot deeper.  Officially, Giles County received 20-24 inches but that was more in the northern part of the county, especially up in the mountains.

 
The snow began sticking to the trees Wednesday afternoon but we never lost power.

My husband drove his truck down the driveway, making tracks so we could get out.

 Kookie seemed to get tired of the snow after awhile.

On Valentine's Day, I walked down the driveway, shooting a photo of the bee hives.  During the storm on Thursday, I cleared 4 foot snow drifts on the east side of the hives.  I was afraid the pressure might make the hives keel over.  One hive is slating forward while the other one is backward (or actually fairly level).  I cannot do anything with the hives until there is a very warm day though but I hope the bees survived the storm. 

At the bottom of the driveway, I shot a couple of photos of the pasture across the road.

I was fortunate to see my neighbor who was  driving by on his tractor.  He offered to plow our driveway and I was so grateful I gave him a pint of honey.   Farmers make the best neighbors!  Now, I can get my Mariner up and down the driveway (I don't think I could have with just the tracks since the middle part was too high).

This view from the front porch is one I want to remember about this Valentine's Day.

Another photo for the memories....

The temperature is supposed to be in the 50s  starting tomorrow.  Hopefully, the snow will not melt too fast so that the creeks flood.

Where is Spring?

 

In the past week, it has snowed several times and temperatures have stayed below freezing most nights.  A gradual warm-up this week won't make up for the coldest March I can remember.

It's not just here in the Appalachian Mountains that March is turning out to be the coldest, snowiest month.  Just look at these maps checking out the snow cover of the United States on March 25 of 2012 and this year.  In last year's post "Early Trillium, Spring out of Whack," I was bemoaning the fact that the poor bloodroot flowers were sprout thru thick green vegetation.

The birds have flocked to the feeders, sometimes hundreds of them. 


The Eastern Towhee has come back from wintering somewhere, probably Texas. He must be wondering where spring is too.  The black-eyed juncos (above the towhee in the photo) will stick around until the end of April when they will migrate north or maybe just higher into the Applachian Mountains.




This morning, I noticed that this cut-leaf toothwort was brave enough to peek thru the leaves.  Hopefully, it will bloom by this weekend when it is supposed to warm up.  It is surely late this year.  But, if you asked me which I preferred, a hot or cold March, I would have to say a cold March.  It makes spring all that much sweeter when it finally arrives.

Beautiful Dangerous Snowstorm

About 6 inches of wet snow fell quickly on Sunday evening. With the trees overloaded and crashing down on power lines, we went without power for more than 2 days. On Monday morning, I walked down our driveway to take a few photos before the snow melted.



This view at the end of the driveway is of Walker Mountain in the distance.



Looking in the other direction on our road, you can see how the trees were laden with snow.



Coming back up the driveway, the sun shone through the trees, truly a beautiful sight.


The wind picked up, blowing snow out of the trees.


The snow had mostly melted by Tuesday with temperatures climbing into the 60s Wednesday through today. But, we were hit with a thunderstorm Wednesday night and high winds today.

We thought we were well prepared with a generator but a mouse had chewed thru the wires. We only had enough water for a day too. So, now we are prepared for the next one. So, come on Mother Nature, bring it on!

Snow, Earthquake: That's Spring!

About 10:00 a.m., I walked down the driveway to get the newspaper and take a couple of photos of the snow which had covered the ground and trees.

As I walked down, I heard more than the usual number of crows. Maybe they were crowing about VCU's big win over Kansas in the NCAA tournament yesterday. It's not Virginia Tech but it's Virginia anyway!


The snow covered the redcedar trees across the road, giving cover to lots of wildlife including turkeys, coyotes, and northern cardinals.




This closeup shows the male flowers of the Redcedar tree. So, I was wondering if my bees were bringing in some of this pollen a few days ago. I counted at least 5 different colors--beige, yellow, orange, gold, and red.


Spicebush with snow March 28, 2011

Even the blooming spicebush shrubs were covered in the wet snow.



Spicebush in bloom March 23, 2011

This was how they looked 5 days ago.



Spicebush with Hawthorne in bloom March 23, 2011

The hawthorne shrubs had already leafed out but won't bloom until next month.


Bloodroot March 23, 2011

The bloodroot had bloomed too already.


By the time I got back up the driveway, the snow had already melted! And when I turned on the television, I learned we had a 2.5 earthquake at 4:00 a.m. only a few miles from where I live. That's spring for you!

Snow and Cold

Last Saturday, the first snow covered the hollow on the same day as last year--December 5. But, it was not quite as much so I hope we will not have to endure the same record snowfalls.



Unlike last year, the weather turned very cold after the snow so the birds flocked to the feeders. Here's a fluffed-up Carolina Wren waiting her turn in the burning bush. The red berries are a favorite of the juncos and white-throated sparrows.


The male and female Purple Finches also wait to get their chance to munch the sunflower seeds.



While winter isn't my favorite time of year, it doesn't seem to faze my dog, Kookie. She might not stay outside long but she still manages to dig. I don't see how she smells anything in the snow.

Flooding before another Snow Storm

On Sunday night, several inches of rain fell on top of the saturated ground, resulting in another flood. This view above of our valley is of an intermittent creek that flows into Big Walker Creek which rose above its banks to flood the road. Our road actually had this creek flowing over it for several days before VDOT finally fixed it. The creek will probably stay until late spring, attracting waterfowl. I have seen a Great Blue Heron and another shore bird fly off when I drove past.

I made a fire in the wood stove to warm the house in advance of another snowstorm tonight and tomorrow (7-11 inches predicted). I am glad it's snow instead of the ice that Oklahoma received. This is the third snowstorm this winter and all have happened on the weekend. We also have had two floods, one right after the Dec. 5 storm) and the one this week. It's been a wet winter this year.

The winter seems more like the ones we had when we first moved out here in the mid-1980s. We got a lot of snow back then. I remember we both drove vehicles that did not have 4WD and we couldn't make it up the driveway for weeks at a time (with a 1/3 mile driveway that was a real hassle). We soon traded those in for 4WDs.

I hope to take some photos on Sunday when the sun will be out after the snow.

"Joy is a Miracle...like Flowers in Winter"

That phrase was on a card I received over the holidays. Today, I went outside in the bitter cold (23 degrees and windy) and took the following photo which seems to encapsulate the idea.


Heather January 2, 2010

The flowers on this heather shrub have been blooming since late November. It seems like a miracle that the flowers survived 14 inches of snow that was piled on them for a week.


Honey Bee on Heather November 29, 2009

When the temperature rises to the high 40s, the bees will come out to feed on the shrub which they have to themselves (no wild bees out in this cold). I'm assuming my heather is the Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) which grows in the Scottish Highlands. The honey the bees make from the heather nectar is prized for its dark, caramel taste according to the book Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper by C. Marina Marchese.

White Christmas

Although a lot of snow has melted on the south side of the mountains, the north sides are still deep with snow. I don't remember snow hanging around this long. On New Year's Eve, we received another 2 inches of the pretty stuff--better than the freezing rain that was predicted to fall. Here's some photos I took of the snow and ice.


Castle Rock on New River December 22, 2009

This photo was taken on Pembroke Bridge a few miles from where I live. Just below is the canoe and boat take out area.


December 25, 2009

Freezing rain on Christmas Eve helped to make the snow melt on our front porch roof creating interesting shapes.



On Christmas Day, the snow had slid off.


Hope everyone has a great 2010!

14" of Snow!

It started about 2:00 yesterday and snowed about 1 inch an hour all afternoon, evening, and night. I measured at 11:00 a.m. and it was still 14 inches even though the temperature rose above freezing. On this photo, you can see my dog, Kookie, in the middle coming back up our driveway. She loves it.



It looks like more than 14" on top the bee hive. We cleaned the front opening so that there was ventilation. The bees will cluster with the queen in the center. The worker bees take turns being on the outside (just like in March of the Penguins).



I walked down the driveway (dog in front) in the ruts Steve created with the UTV. He still got stuck in a couple of places--no way our 4WDs will make it out anytime soon. Our road isn't plowed and Interstate 81 is still closed. The governor declared most of Virginia a disaster with the National Guard helping stranded motorists on the interstates.

We had to cancel our trip to the Grand Canyon--we can't get to the Charlotte Airport. But, I guess we will have a white Christmas! And, this makes our dog very happy.


We stocked the feeders this morning with the downy woodpecker already taking big bites out of the suet cake. I noticed so many dark-eyed juncos on the ground--now I know why they are often called snowbirds.

First Snow-- Purple Finch and Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Yesterday, I awoke to 3 inches of snow on the ground. Darn--I had to go to a meeting in town in the morning (where there was little snow--only slush and freezing rain). When I returned, I bundled up and went on a walk.


At noon, the snow was still coming down and sticking to the trees like cotton candy.


The field across from our land did not seem to have as much snow. Maybe the wind blew it away.



Later (while watching endless college football), I heard a bird fly into our new patio door. The Purple Finch sat on a chair for a long while, then flew up into this burning bush about 10 feet from the house. I was glad he flew off later.


This morning, a male Red-Bellied Woodpecker enjoyed a suet cake. No other bird will challenge him at the feeder.

Even though winter is not my favorite season, I don't mind that this snow is sticking around for awhile. Hope it stays until Christmas but around here, that's doubtful.

5 inches of snow!

About 5 inches of snow fell since early this morning resulting in a mad rush of birds to the feeders.



This female Northern Cardinal, two male Purple finches, and a male American Goldfinch wait patiently for their turn at the feeder.



These Mourning Doves are not waiting for the feeder since they feed on the ground. I guess they are just trying to keep warm.



This is the best photograph I could get of the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker feeding on suet. He has been around for the last month. He will not eat sunflower seeds so I am trying to keep the suet there all the time.

Chris--here are my 7 random facts about me. I don't have anybody to tag since I think everyone's blog I read has been tagged. This might be more than you wanted to know...

1. I have 9 brothers and sisters, 20 nieces and nephews, 40+ great nieces and nephews, and 2 great-great nephews.
2. For future retirement, my parents bought an Ozark farm when I was about 11. I loved the woods, the vegetable garden, and especially the creek where I swam almost everyday during the summer.
3. When I was a rising high school senior, I went up in the workmen’s elevator on the outside of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis before it was finished (actually about two-thirds done). I was the second woman to go up in the Arch (after my boyfriend’s father’s girlfriend) but officially the mayor’s wife was the first but her ride was the easy way on the inside train after the Arch’s completion.
4. I lived on a sailboat in St. Thomas Harbor in the U.S. Virgin Islands for six months in the 70s. It was rent-free because my husband’s and my best qualifications were that we didn’t know how to sail; and so, we would not be tempted to take the boat out of the harbor.
5. In 1999, I spent a week in Kuwait presenting at a conference. One evening at the hotel, I received a special delivery letter from the U.S. Embassy warning me to be on guard for kidnappers because President Clinton had given an ultimatum to the Afghan government to hand over Osama bin Laden. At the time, I had no idea who Osama bin Laden was.
6. I love to play pool and compete in an area billiards league.
7. Nature is my refueler and my best source of inspiration (also inspiring are other nature bloggers).