From Sun and Warmth to...

This is Olive's little boy Aiden, we got to do some play time in the yard on Saturday afternoon.

Olive stopped by with fresh Eggs from her gals.

We had some rain and a lot of nice weather on Saturday. The daffodils even enjoyed it.

By chore time Sunday afternoon, they were not Happy Daffies.

The pine trees in front of the house were laden with ice and snow.

By Monday morning the snow was 5 inches deep at the bird feeder under the pines and knee deep on the hill behind the house.

The iris plants were partially buried.

I walked along some branches that were overhanging the hot wire they were drooping so I shook them and they rattled with ice. Some snow came off but not much.

I knelt down to get a shot of the Bluebells that were ready to bloom...

I went in the house to do something and suddenly the mules were running and snorting. One of the large box elder sections of a tree came down where I had been.

I shut the gate to that area and decided I'd deal with that issue when things warmed up which it is supposed to do this week.

I might have to check in with a couple of my ridge neighbors to see if I can barter or trade for some chain saw work.

From the extended forecast of rain from Tuesday through Thursday, it looks like I might just have to take hand loppers and and see if I can get the stuff off the at least one fence.

Perhaps I'll just ignore it today and just have some tea with Miss LaFleur.

1st of April are we fooled?

I think March can be as tough as November because we are in that in between stage where we are dealing with some rather drab colors in nature. 

And now we move to April which begins the real season of spring surprises.

But for now? I take the ugly parts of the day and do that never ending job of cleaning up what I didn't take care of in the fall.
I looked back on what I've done in the past few years in March and it is the same fight. Clean up burdock, Motherwort, pile, burn, rake up as many seeds from the sour dock and do the same. 
Hack down elderberry tree sprouts -- more come up from suckers... and generally clean areas up so I don't have equine full of burs when I can start rotating them.

One of the spots that I didn't work on last year proved to be extra nasty come this past fall.

If I had a herd of goats and proper fencing, I'd send them through here a few times a year and let them clean up the nasty weeds.

The Dexter cattle did a good job at that. But we had too many and we all know what overgrazing does to the land.

Charlie and I worked on this one little spot. Well, Charlie supervised, I worked.

I make small piles and wait for an early morning without wind then burn the small brush piles.

Just to the right of where this photo was taken the Buckthorn woods start. The only thing that will rid me of those nasty trees is a bulldozer, then forestry planting and a lot of work bringing the forest back to its glory days. 

This section is only about an acre or so, but it is on a steep hill.

Face it. It is wild.

I have one thought on it. If I were to invest in doing all of that, I'd never live to see the benefit. One more thing to leave to the next generation of owners after I am gone.

I have to admit defeat and let that area go. I am only one person who has no business operating heavy machinery or chainsaws. I don't have the time nor the energy. I feel like I am failing as a steward for my land.

I obsess about it each year. However, I've decided to fix fencing and enjoy my property and all it has to offer. 

I will pick my battles.

This year I have one less grazing animal. Three of our equine are over 25 years old. So it is mostly retirement time for them.

My neighbor is a forester and I am looking forward to a tour of our land with him [and his wife]. 

I'll keep trails open and mark the best places to gather eatable mushrooms, dig parsnip roots, pick berries, and enjoy the beauty of nature.

This is a mental battle I do each spring with good meaning and ideas.

As soon as the wildflowers start though, I feel good again.

Right now? It is snowing and coming down hard. 

Sven thinks it is just fine.

As daylight seeps into the grey morning here, I am putting on my coveralls and heading out to enjoy Mother Nature's Joke on us.

Last night over an inch of rain. This morning, heavy snowfall. Tomorrow? Looks like a beautiful day.

I'll take it!

Let it snow and storm

Charlie had to get out and play in the snow yesterday. Dixie walked or trotted and Charlie had to leap and hop to keep up with her. 

Some people think I should just let Charlie be a house baby, but I say let him be a dog. After all, he is a dog and enjoys fresh air and lots of exercise just like any canine.

See that black spot? That is Charlie very early taking a potty pass. I had to put boots on and make a trail for him. After that, he was not fazed by the snow for his bathroom breaks. He uses the path.

When he and Dixie where playing though, it was a different story, he plowed through the snow and had to stop and rest often. He did get cold after a bit and asked for a lift.

After lunch I decided to take a hike. I normally hike every day and have been tied up with MIL issues. Rich settled in for an afternoon nap and I gathered my things and set off to explore the freak snow storm.

It was going to be a 'no dog' hike.

The flash flooding, heavy rains, and sleet increased the flow of the creek again. I was happy to see the water level back up.

I stood quietly above the creek and watched a coyote walk through the bottom, he/she seemed as if they hadn't a care in the world. I was pleased that it had snowed or I would have missed the coyote otherwise because it is so well camouflaged.

I got into the creek bottom and away from the frigid winds. One of the first surprises I encountered was the reformation of ice along side one sandstone wall.

It made perfect sense, but not for April. The excess water was still dripping off from the hillsides into the creek but since it was so cold, it was freezing.
When I got up close to grab a shot of the old maiden hair fern frozen inside of the icicles a gust of wind blew through...

I noticed another thing that made this snow trip so unusual.

Birds.
Everywhere there were little birds.
I actually got about two half way decent shots of them.

Someone said this may be a Brown Creeper. I'm going to call it a Little Pretty Delicate Bird. I'm not sure as the photo is not that great and the little bird blends in so well.

I caught this bird in flight! I have no idea what it was either, but birds where everywhere.

The robins seemed to be the least shy of them all.

I learned that 'birding' is sort of fun.

I walked the creek upstream to follow the coyote. It was interesting to see who else had been along the creek after the storm.

I enhanced the details here so the evidence of a coyote and a small deer can be seen in the snow. Both sets of tracks wandered up the deer trail and into the woods.

I spent a long time watching the snow fall and listening to the water run over the rocks. Winter would be a long time coming again.

I liked the white mounds of boulders with the creek wandering through them. And the trees above were reflected beautifully in the waters.

The creek was a winter wonderland for me.

Part of the reason I do so love winter and snow.

After the snow melts I will miss it. But I will also welcome the change of seasons.

I am looking forward to leeks, bloodroot, morel mushrooms, and all of the woodland wildflowers that will start to appear like madness in the next few weeks.