Dark and Snowy Days

  I have always rather enjoyed cloudy days.   I figure since most people prefer sunshine, someone has to like the Un-Sun, so it may as well be me. Whenever the sky is overcast, we have slightly warmer temperatures.   Besides, as Mark Twain (I think it was him, anyway) said, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." 

Escarpment

The snow is really piling up out in the gardens, which is a good thing, for the most part.  I'm very happy with my Snowblower Trails yet; the dogs and Screech Kitty and I walk them every day.  I had to go back out with the blower twice in the past week to clear some drifting and ended up battling with the machine because all it wanted to do was climb the drift--the front end went up the snowbank and the handlebars would be on the ground if I let the machine have it's way, but never fear, I was able to wrestle it back down and keep going. 

Granite and Grasses

I think next year we'll invest in some tire chains for the beast, that way maybe it will have more bite in the snow.  Still, it's a win-win situation for me because I'm getting a great upper body workout fighting with the snow blower.  I know I could join a gym, and probably should, but it seems like there's so much work to do  that I should be able to get a bit more fit accomplishing stuff around here. 

The backyard

Another friend with a snowmobile, Eric, stopped in this weekend and went out in the Back Eight for me again.  Cody's trails had all just about been covered up by the fresh snow and subsequent drifting.  I've been going cross-country skiing at least four times a week on the snowmobile trails. 

Part of Snowblower Trail

On Sunday, I went out cross-country skiing in the afternoon, but I didn't have a good time.  It was too warm, and the snow stuck to the bottom of my el-cheapo waxless skis.  Instead of 'step-glide-step-glide' the rhythm was 'step-glide-STICK-stumble, step-STICK-glide-fall down'.   I went out about a half mile before deciding to turn back for home. 

The hill behind the Quarry...wish it looked this good in the summertime.  I love snow; it covers up all the work for six months.

I repeated the 'Step-Stick-Stumble' routine until I finally lost my balance and over I went.  Where I fell down, the snow was around 4' deep in drifts. When I put my ski pole out to push myself up it plunged through the snow and I ended up with my face planted in the snowbank. Flailing around like a carp out of water, I finally managed to regain my feet without taking my skis off and headed for home.  But then the sticky snow started building up under my heels and caused the boots to slip sideways on the skis which turned my ankles out to the side.  (It's a good thing I have strong ankles.)   There I stood with the outside of my ankles resting on the snow and my skis standing on edge; I hastily looked around to make sure Joel's game camera (or Sneaky Carl)  wasn't recording this auspicious event.  Just call me grace.  I'll never make the Winter Olympics this way.

I finally managed to get closer to home and was glad to see the barn coming back into view.  I took off my skis and walked the rest of the trail.

Bristlecone pine

Since I have Snowblower Trail now, I can go much nearer to the gardens without needing to use snowshoes or x-country skis.  This has truly been liberating for me; I know it sounds odd, but  I missed the garden walks in the winter time; I so missed the garden.  I really look forward to my little quarter mile trail every day.  Feel the burn....ok, there's no burn, it's just fun.

No sitting on this bench, too much fresh snow.

The only visitors to the Formal Garden have been bunnies, as I can't get the Snowblower down into the lower level.  I stood there and stared at this bed; it's up for renovations soon, but exactly when, I don't know.  We want to take out all the stones and start over with different stones.  Yes, the Semi-Annual Procrastinatoe Garden Rock Rotation.  (I guess I won't be needing a gym this summer, anyway!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I bought this tree last year at a Big Box Store, and all the tag attached to it said was 'Specialty Tree'--which could mean just about anything, right?  For ten bucks, I took my chances  and brought it home.  The evergreen has a strong weeping habit but doesn't seem to require much staking---time will tell what it turns out to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are on the other side of the Escarpment Bed.  When we put these rocks in place, I thought we were nuts, but now I think this is one of my favorite spots in the garden.  If we'd had the equipment, we would have gone much higher than 6' but that's all we could lift with the wrecker.

There, clinging to the side of the Quarry waterfall, is rhus typhina, 'Tiger Eye' which ran away from it's mother plant up much higher on the hill.  Yes, 'Tiger Eye' sumac runs...but not so fast to become a true nuisance.  But I like the naturalized effect on the rocks.

Here's another part of the garden that will need some looking into before the trees get too old, there are three 'Fat Albert' spruce trees here, all bought for a song and planted much too closely.  We still have some time to move them but best not wait too long, as I've been pruning them.  Their height might be lower, but their trunks will be much bigger with more established root systems since they are older than they look.  We'll have to root prune them before we move them. 

As I made mental notes about all the work that needs doing, I started to get stressed out, but then I stepped off Snowblower Trail and went over my knees in snow.  Ahhhhh.....Thank Goodness!

I headed into the house with a smile on my face.  Although I'd just looked at enough work to keep us busy for half the summer, I had no regrets about not being able to 'do' something. 

Thank God for Winter and the chance to rest up.  It'll all be there when the snow melts.