Oh I remember-I mentioned spring two posts ago. Well, never mind-we won’t be seeing spring for a while yet.
Last Saturday morning I woke to find this outside my door-the snow, not the yardstick. We don’t fool around with any of that new-fangled weather gadgetry here in New Hampshire.
The trees had been frosted overnight but it wouldn’t last long because we had a fierce wind blowing.
The trails were pristine but the snow was knee deep and impossible to maneuver easily without snowshoes or skis. The gale force winds quickly blew the snow off the trees and had them creaking and groaning so loudly that it wasn’t too hard to imagine what being on a three masted schooner in heavy swells must have sounded like.
The sun came and went and had no effect on either the temperature or the wind.
The wind sculpted the snow and blew it into drifts-in some places deep enough to completely bury cars. In this picture it was working on burying a stone. Or maybe it was uncovering it.
In other places it sculpted waves.
All winter long I’ve been trying to convince my camera that snow really does sparkle in the sun. For some reason the camera has a hard time seeing what the eye sees when it comes to snow sparkles. This shot came close.
The geese on the river didn’t seem to mind the wind. I’ve noticed that their numbers are increasing. Whatever happened to geese flying south for the winter, I wonder.
The Ashuelot River water level has dropped a few feet and it is starting to ice up again. Just a week ago the banks were nearly full and it looked spring like had come.
A couple of nights of below zero temperatures have probably changed this scene considerably since this was taken.
You wouldn’t know it by this sky, but temperatures are supposed to be above freezing each day this week and except for Monday, the sun is supposed to shine all week. I’m counting on it.
The snow was whiter than what seemed possible. ~J. McSparin – 8th Grader
Thanks for stopping in.
New Hampshire Garden Solutions 
I love the wind sculpted snow but all the pictures are a treat to look at even if they are not quite so much of a treat to live with.
Thank you. No, I can say for sure that it hasn’t been a treat.They tell me that we’re used to it up here in the north, but I’ve lived here almost 60 years and I’m not used to it yet. It was pretty though, like it almost always is.
You seem to have got your camera convinced. Wonderful snow pics along with an excellent post.
Thank you Sandy. The sparkly snow picture still isn’t quite what I wanted, but it’s close. It really shouldn’t be this difficult!
Beautiful winter scenes! With spring just around the corner, now is the time to enjoy winter!
Thanks Montucky. This is the time of year that I really enjoy, with bearable temperatures even though there is snow on the ground. I have a hard time staying inside!
I love the wind sculpted snow. Beautiful!
Thanks Melanie!
I checked my favorite hardware store for syruping buckets today. They have some on the way, but the guy manning the counter didn’t know what they were going to cost. We’ll see.
If they’re new they might cost a bit, but it beats scrubbing rust and grit off the old ones! I just looked on line and saw some for about 3.50 each. That’s not too bad, but I didn’t notice if they came with covers or not.
These are old, used buckets. They guy suppying them to the store is busy cleaning them now. We’ll see how clean they are…
They should be relatively inexpensive if you can get new for $3.50. No telling what the quality of the new ones is though-chances are good that the old ones are better made.
Beautiful pictures, I enjoyed reading the blog :sitting beside the fire 🙂
Thank you. A fire is good any day, but I hope you’re a little closer to spring than we are.
Very nice, Allen…I haven’t seen any snow that deep in my yard, but have encountered a bit of it out on the trails…sinking clear up to my hip in it at one point. I’ve been surprised at the geese, as well…they never seem to leave. I’m not complaining in the least, I just thought they would head south…but maybe, to them, they are south.
Thanks Scott. I’d bet that you have snow that deep up in the hills. I know what you mean about sinking in up to your waist-I climbed a mountain in April once and the same thing happened. Jerry from his Quiet solo pursuits blog has answered the question of why geese no longer fly south, and you can read it below. Something I never knew!
You’re welcome…and oh, yes, I’ve no doubt that it is at least that deep up in the hills. I will check-out QSP’s info…thank you.
Wonderful pictures! I have the same problem convincing my camera that snow is sparkly.
The reason that all geese no longer fly south is because they are returning to their normal patterns as their numbers increase. When we were growing up, the only geese left were those that nested in the arctic, and flew south in the winter. The local residents had been killed off one way or another.
Thanks Jerry. And thanks for the information on the geese! I never knew we had “native” geese that didn’t fly south.
The countryside looks wonderful under its fresh blanket of snow and the trails just shout out “come and explore”. Knee deep snow is so tiring to walk through and you never know what you might step on (or into). But despite no snow shoes or skis, I doubt I could resist a bit of a wander at least.
As I write, it’s started snowing here in England again but it’s only a light powdery fall and I doubt that it will settle much. I’m envious of you Allen.
I couldn’t resist either James. I wandered down hill to the river without skis or snowshoes and I thought they’d probably find me there in the spring when the snow melted. It was quite a struggle getting back up that hill! I hope you’ll get to see some snow too before spring. I know you like it.
Strangely enough, the light dusting of snow I mentioned a few hours ago has now developed into a fair covering. Only about an inch deep but everything is now white over, and it’s still coming down. 🙂
Can’t wait to see the pictures!
Now that’s what winter is supposed to look like, unlike what we get here in Virginia. The shots of the pristine drifted snow are breathtakingly beautiful, even if limits mobility. Spring will come when it’s ready.
I agree Mike, there’s no hurrying spring. We’re having cold nights and warm days right now and that should get the sap flowing. Tree buds will start to swell soon.