Monday, February 16, 2015

Uncle!

The entry to the garden

Snow. Sigh. Part of me has that crazed maniac thought of bring it on. But most of me is crying uncle at the thought of more snow. Really it can stop now. Typically our winters are snow turning to rain, or rain turning to snow. We get thaws. It melts out. We can get some good blizzards here, but the snow doesn't stick for a long time. This time we are locked in a freeze that is keeping the snow with us. The next week doesn't see temperatures above freezing until maybe - just maybe - Sunday.

The funny thing is that my husband and I went to a lecture by Tom Wysmuller in the middle of January. He was telling us how his prediction for the northeastern weather this winter turned out wrong. He predicted heavy snow and colder than normal temperatures. Up to that point all we had had was dry and warmer air. Well all he had to do was wait a week or two for his predictions to come true. Now we are setting snow records. We haven't quite reached an all time winter record, but we far surpassed the 30 days records. By a long shot. And it has been cold over the last month. I only have weather station data since 2011, but so this stretch has been the coldest by 3.2F compared to last year (the previous record in this stretch). This week is supposed to be bitter cold and I'm sure that difference will widen.

Kale

You can see my supports for the kale. The fence behind them is 4' tall. Though that is a little deceptive as we have had very strong winds and the snow drifts. The stakes are in a depression in the snow. The snow will help the kale survive the winter, but the problem is the snow crusts on the top then melts from the bottom and pulls off the leaves and crushes the plants. That is why they have supports. It is for the snow. Hopefully not too many leaves will get stripped off as it all melts this spring. Spring will come. Right?

I still haven't shoveled out the path to the compost pile. Until I know that the snow is gone from the roof it is too dangerous. We have solar panels up there. When the snow comes off, it comes off as an avalanche, all at once. With a lot of force. The first year we had the panels we had our tempered glass table in the back like normal. It shattered the table. We now tip the table on its side for the winter so it will survive. I'm pretty sure if it hit me when I was out there it could do a lot of damage, so I won't go there until I'm sure the snow is off. When it gets warm enough I'll walk over to the next street and look at the roof to find out.

If you look to the right of the photo you will see some indentations in the snow. Those are my footprints. Or leg prints as I sunk down deep. I was more crawling on the snow than walking. Over a railing and a fence that I couldn't tell was there. We had to dig out our furnace and water heater vents yesterday. The furnace one didn't really need it badly. It is hot enough that it mostly melts the snow, but the water heater one doesn't go on all the time. It was buried. The intense winds blocked it again later, so I was out again making sure we don't die of carbon monoxide poisoning.

At least today the sun is shining. I'm always happier with the sun. Now if it would just warm up enough for me to go out for a walk I could see what the rest of the neighborhood looks like. And see if my solar panels are clear.

18 comments:

  1. I have seen the Boston snow on TV and I just have no real comprehension of how you can deal with that. And snow with bitter cold is just a dangerous situation all around. Stay safe out there!

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  2. Welcome to my world, Daphne. This is what we put up with EVERY year. Sending Spring thoughts your way. Good luck with the melt.

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  3. Replies
    1. Are you trapped indoors by the snow or can you actually get out of the garden?

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    2. We are all shoveled out. We have a tiny driveway that is barely long enough to put the car in. So there isn't much to shovel. Though with no place to put it we have to carry it to the lawn in the front. So it took us an hour to shovel out yesterday. The town kept up with plowing too. Well mostly. We live on a dead end road and they sometimes don't go all the way down (though our driveway isn't at the end, so it always gets plowed out).

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  4. Oh dear, that is BAD! We never get snow as bad as that. It must have a huge effect on your lives - and the local infrastructure & economy. No chance of any gardening, that's for sure.

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  5. OMG - that 1st photo takes the cake! We've had our share of snow this winter, although nowhere near as bad as that - I think we probably have about 1' or so on the ground right now. Like you, I'm glad it's there as it gives the overwintering veg that added layer of protection.

    We are in the middle of a deep freeze as well, with wind chills getting into the low -40's - this also happened last year (and is very unusual for our area, which usually peaks at wind chill lows in the -30's). I'm pretty sure that the extreme lows caused us to get no fruit this past summer & I'm worried that it will be a repeat this year.

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  6. Wow, it almmost looks like here! Hope that the rest of the Year gets better for growing things! :) Mia

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  7. I can't fathom living with all that snow and cold. I guess if you deal with it every year like Miss M then you learn how, but still, yikes, I can't fathom it. Stay warm and safe. I know you won't go hungry!

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  8. It is hard to believe that it will get warm again! You have it twice as bad as us! Nancy

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  9. It is hard to believe that it will get warm again! You have it twice as bad as us! Nancy

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  10. Oh my ... I'm past my knee boots in the backyard (about 20 inches) - I don't like it but at least I'm used to it. Hope it doesn't adversely affect anything you had planned. Thinking warm and happy thoughts for you!

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  11. Well even our weather presenters here in the UK are talking about your snow and goodness that is a lot of snow.

    All the best Jan

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  12. O cried uncle a week ago....that is before we got another 14 inches this weekend. I'm so over this snow. It just makes me nervous to start any seeds right now.

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  13. oh my!! that's a lot of snow and I know snow..wow!!!

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  14. HOLY. COW. Be safe and stay warm. Wow, just can't even imagine.

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  15. I gave up on the compost pile a couple weeks ago lol. When (if ever) this stuff melts, there is going to be a lot of flooding and soggy ground. I may adjust my seed starting schedule to push back planting dates.

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  16. This is astounding. here i am complaining about the heat here. i'm like you, but about the summer heat: after a long winter, i think "bring it on" but then it's just too extreme.
    your pictures are amazing and beautiful. to think that is the top of your stakes.

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