Are you making any plans for the Snow?

[Robson Valley]

Nice pic, Klench. Over here, still half way up your doors, even in the forest.
Local trapper tells me that there's 20' at his place. Had to use the roof door more than once.

Spring (serious melting) is the better part of a month away for us. -15C nights.
Don't expect the bears (Blacks and Grizz) until late April/early May.

But, there is some heat in the sun. By the dripping, I know there's snow melt on the roof.
I can go sit in the Suburban in shirtsleeves and read a book.
Many of out insect species, mosquitoes included, can hibernate. Instant infestations on warm days.

Do you have useful fern fiddleheads to harvest in the spring?

 

[Nomad64]

Clearing rapidly but we’re still cut off though the council have promised to get a snow plough through tomorrow.

Fields are getting on for 50% green but still deep drifts around the edges. I helped dig my neighbour’s quadbike out for the second time today.

 

[daveO]

I just had to dig my wheelie bin out of a drift to put it out for collection tomorrow. It was still completely covered. I'm not even sure if the bins will get picked up as most of the roads in the town are still down to one lane. It was looking like a good thaw day today but the deep stuff is persistant.

 

[Toddy]

I know what you mean; we always say our biggest room is outside!

But I'm also trying not to plan my life away; I can't believe we're 1/6th the way through the year already! I just need it to be dryer so I can get on; I don't mind cold. With the ground as wet as it is I just can't get most of the jobs started

Pretty much the same here. Too sodden wet.
Did you see the reports about the folks in Cumbria though ? Snowed in for six days so far, and drifts are still over 5m deep in places.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-43305425/i-ve-been-snowed-in-for-six-days

Kind of puts my inconveniences to shame !

M

 

[Broch]

Kind of puts my inconveniences to shame !

M

Agreed, and mine.

 

[daveO]

Pretty much the same here. Too sodden wet.
Did you see the reports about the folks in Cumbria though ? Snowed in for six days so far, and drifts are still over 5m deep in places.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-43305425/i-ve-been-snowed-in-for-six-days

Kind of puts my inconveniences to shame !

M

I cant imagine how animals are surviving that. I went to a wetlands nature reserve yesterday and it looks like the foxes have had a total field day while the lakes have been frozen up. Feathers and bits of bird everywhere.

 

[Toddy]

Y'know ? I wondered that too. Sheep farmers are having it bad because it's lambing, but the wildlife, especially the birds, are being hit hard. Normally I have to fill my birdfeeders daily. Even after two days they're not empty this past week. I'd like to think it's because more people are feeding them, but with it being so hard for folks to shop, I rather doubt that.
Foxes go nuts in a hen run, they'll kill anything they can reach and just come back again to pick them up. Might be what had happened at the nature reserve ? Especially when they can get the birds at night when most won't fly.

M

 

[daveO]

All the birds are at my house. I've used about 2 or 3 weeks supply of bird food since this storm hit. Luckily I buy in bulk so I had plenty stored up.

The dead birds at the reserve were in various stages of freshness so must have been killed over a few nights. I've brought back some beautiful green- tinted lapwing feathers though.

 

[Nomad64]

Y'know ? I wondered that too. Sheep farmers are having it bad because it's lambing, but the wildlife, especially the birds, are being hit hard. Normally I have to fill my birdfeeders daily. Even after two days they're not empty this past week. I'd like to think it's because more people are feeding them, but with it being so hard for folks to shop, I rather doubt that.
Foxes go nuts in a hen run, they'll kill anything they can reach and just come back again to pick them up. Might be what had happened at the nature reserve ? Especially when they can get the birds at night when most won't fly.

M

Two of our ewes lambed around 5 am this morning and that is 50% of our little flock!



Our immediate neighbours are both in their 70s and have 400 plus ewes which have been dropping lambs right, left and centre in the fields around us which until yesterday they have been unable to. I’ve been getting plenty of practice collecting their lambs and mothers from the snow and getting them in and penned up and keeping an eye on things for them generally and fortunately so far, no difficult births.

It’s been great to get some practice in but we are really just playing at it and proper farmers like our neighbours are finding it tough. I really hope that the mutterings of “we should have retired last year”, are just an annual ritual and in a few weeks they will be enjoying things again.

Our bird feeder has been very busy during the cold snap and one of the perks of being up for a bright crisp start to the day was hearing the first woodpecker of the year and having a kite pirouetting over the fields presumably looking for lambing casualties and debris.

 

[Broch]

My job for the day? Getting the rods down the pipes to the sceptic tank
I suspect somewhere froze over the last week causing one of the pipes to block; now, after the thaw, the pipe hasn't cleared and it's backing up. I've checked everything is flowing downstream so I know where the problem is.
Great, not my favourite job! After breakfast I think

 

[daveO]

My job for the day? Getting the rods down the pipes to the sceptic tank
I suspect somewhere froze over the last week causing one of the pipes to block; now, after the thaw, the pipe hasn't cleared and it's backing up. I've checked everything is flowing downstream so I know where the problem is.
Great, not my favourite job! After breakfast I think

Dig a long drop and wait till it thaws. Nothing's quite so bracing as an outdoor toilet

We've been forcast more snow for tonight now. Not much though hopefully.

 

[Broch]

Dig a long drop and wait till it thaws. Nothing's quite so bracing as an outdoor toilet

We've been forcast more snow for tonight now. Not much though hopefully.

My good wife lets me get away with a lot but, I think, suggesting we use a long drop in the snow will be pushing my luck

Job done now!

We're forecast 'heavy' snow all night - I like snow but I'm ready for spring so I hope the forecast is wrong.

 

[Robson Valley]

". . . . wait until it thaws," he says.

You know that crisp, sharp smell when people smile and claim that "spring is in the air?"

You know what that means here?
5 months of ranch ka-ka and dog logs, all melting on the same day.

 

[Toddy]

My job for the day? Getting the rods down the pipes to the sceptic tank
I suspect somewhere froze over the last week causing one of the pipes to block; now, after the thaw, the pipe hasn't cleared and it's backing up. I've checked everything is flowing downstream so I know where the problem is.
Great, not my favourite job! After breakfast I think

Glad to hear it's 'moving', but not a job to be relished
Isn't it a blighter when the pipes seize up ?

I hope the snow doesn't come to much; I think we've rather had enough of the fun of it now.

M