Winter in February

Well, winter is here - it's a winter wonderland out there, and the temperature is hovering between 23 and 25 degrees.

My little greenhouse has a nice insulating blanket of snow.

This happened overnight - yesterday was warm and nice with no trace of snow.

It seems like more, but the deepest snow I could find was just over 6".

It is pretty - but I prefer color in my world so I hope it doesn't last long and that spring is close behind!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Snow in the Pacific Northwest in February isn't totally rare, but usually by February, signs of Spring start popping up, and we get some sunny warm days where I can plant peas.

This year, we had a two week cold front that came through the last two weeks of February, where the temperature dropped, the ice began to advance on the lake, and we were dumped on with snow two separate times.

After the second snow storm, we had accumulated about 8" of snow.

Ron took the tractor out and cleared the driveway so that we could all get out, as the snow seemed to be concentrated at the 500' level where we are located.  Once we got out on the main roads, there was little or no snow.

The gravel is going to need some rearranging when this is all over, but we weren't stuck at home.

Since it was time to plant my garden, I dug out the plastic containers I've been hoarding and started some seeds on my dining room table.

The apple containers are perfect for the larger seeds.  I can label them with a magic marker.

The peas are already popping up - I planted them on February 25, so it took just 4 days for them to get started.  When they get too tall for the container to be closed, I'll cut the top off and discard it and let the peas continue to grow until the ground is ready for them to be planted outside. Before planting them in the ground, I will move them outside to harden them off on sunny days. The roots become more and more visible through the plastic, and they come out of the container easily when it's time to plant. I'm always looking for ways to extend my growing season, and these containers are the best. (And they're free!)

March 1 - the only snow remaining is what we shoveled off the patio and the snow that slid off the roof.  It feels and smells like Spring outside and we're ready!

More Winter

January 8 - As the temperature warmed up to 38 degrees, we had hope, but also a new level of misery as the solid sheet of ice on the front walkway became treacherous.

By January 10, the tiny bit of snow by the truck is all that's left of the snow and ice.

Except for the lake - someone threw a big boulder onto the ice, and it is still strong enough to hold the rock up.

There are air pockets under the ice, and when I threw a pretty big rock out today, it bounced without breaking through.  I think the ice is still about 2" thick on most of the lake.

But we can see green again, and the sun is shining, making it feel positively balmy and springlike outside today.

Winter Update

The past couple of days have been very cold - barely getting over freezing during the day, so the open water on the lake has gotten smaller and smaller.  Swans were here last week, but are gone now.  With another couple of cold weather days predicted, probably a good idea for them to find a bigger body of water.  Dozens of Mallards still on the lake.

New tracks in the snow - raccoon I think.

The yard was full of Varied Thrushes and Oregon Juncos, picking at whatever falls off the fir trees.  So I decided to put up some feeders when snow covered most of the ground.  So far, they haven't sampled from the feeders.  Maybe they are too unstable because they are hanging on a rope?

So I've been throwing seed on the ground under the trees, and they've been enjoying that.

There wasn't a lot of snow on the driveway, but since it was supposed to get cold and icy, I raked it with the tractor yesterday.

Where I didn't rake, the tracks have turned into a solid layer of ice.  I quit where cars had driven out because I thought my efforts might make it worse, but I probably should have continued all the way to the road.

Winter in Washington

One thing that I had forgotten after many years in the south in the winter:  Even when we get cold weather - even when we get snow, there is still a greenness underneath, and it pops right back when a day or two of cold is gone.

We see a lot of birds in the winter as a lot of migrating birds only come this far on their journey south.

Of course, these guys never leave - there were over a hundred on the lake the other day.

We had our first "real" snow yesterday - but it's pretty drippy out there this morning, so doubtful any will last to greet

Christmas tomorrow.
Christmas Morning Update:
We did wake up to a white Christmas - not much snow in the areas that get sun, but about 2" in the open areas of the woods.  Here's my boot print

in the deep area.

A nature decorated Christmas tree.

I wonder who's out on this beautiful sunny morning walking with me.  I don't think it's a neighbor's kitten.

These lead right to the garden gate.

Looks like the Great Blue Heron has been on the dock!

The ice has been creeping further down the lake.  All the water fowl are congregated in a smaller and smaller area.

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday we had sunshine most of the day - Still no frost, so everything is green. 

However, it's been raining for days and days and we have little lakes everywhere.  I've put my greenhouse on hold until we have more favorable conditions for building.....and

and, my building partner isn't going to be much help for the next 6 weeks.  He slipped and fell on Thursday and broke every bone in his ankle. 

Yesterday I found one nice big Chantrelle mushroom that I added to the homemade beef vegetable soup.  Even though it was sunny, it really wasn't warm, so soup sounded good.

And today we woke up to this!

Fortunately, it's still 35 degrees outside, so it's only sticking to the grassy areas (so far).

I think we're getting a message that we need to slow down!

Home Again - Washington in April

We sometimes get confused if we are coming home for the summer or from the summer.  Fortunately we had a few really nice sunny days when we first got home to semi-adjust to the change in season.  Even though it was sunny, we had to layer on more clothes as our blood had thinned out after a couple of months of summer-like weather in the south.  Then the 4th day home - this is what we woke up to!

This Rhodie continued to bravely bloom through the snow storm.

Same scene as first picture above a day after the snowstorm.  At least snow at this time of year comes and goes in a flash.  By the afternoon of the snow day, it was sunny again.