There’s a high pressure system sitting and spinning in Canada that’s dragging down bitter cold air and one snowstorm after another, sometimes as many as three in a single week. With nothing but cold weather between the storms the snow doesn’t melt but instead just builds up. I tried taking a photo of the trees in my backyard during one storm. Judging by the blurry spot on the right one of the flakes landed on my lens, but I didn’t see it until just now. I never have great luck taking photos when it’s snowing but I wanted to try to show you what it was like.
I didn’t realize I had cropped this photo so the yardstick said “the finest pain” but it fit so I left it that way. Actually, I don’t know if I could call the pains I have from shoveling my roof “the finest,” but they’re right up there in the top five. If I have to shovel it once more they might make it to number one.
The snow had settled some when I took this shot in my back yard and the spot was in a hemlock shadow, so it’s not entirely accurate. I think 24 inches is closer to reality, but I was too worn out to wade through anymore knee deep snow that day.
Evergreens always look nice when they’ve been frosted by show, especially when they’re not in my yard and I don’t have to shovel the frosting.
It’s been so cold that the snow has been very light, dry and powdery, but the heavy wet snow that we had in November on Thanksgiving eve bent many of the birches. Though most of them stood right back up again there are some that didn’t, and I’m curious to see what will become of them. I wonder if they’ll just grow on in their bent state or if they’ll die. I’m guessing that they won’t last long.
The beech and oak leaves add such beautiful colors to the winter woods, especially when the sun breaks through the clouds.
You know it’s cold when you see the Ashuelot River frozen from bank to bank in this spot in Swanzey. I’ve only seen it happen twice; last year and this year. Both winters had extended periods of zero degrees F or below at night.
You would think that the farther north you went the more likely a river would be to freeze over but the strength of the current plays a part in it as well. In this spot north of Keene, I’ve never seen it freeze over completely so I’m guessing that the current must be quite strong.
There’s no problem with water freezing on the ledges along the side of this highway. I’m guessing that it must be close to 100 feet from the top of the hill, so these are some of the longest icicles that I’ve seen.
They’re bigger than tree trunks and have a blueish tint. I don’t want to be anywhere near them when the temperature starts rising.
The bright sunshine can be deceiving. It was bitter cold here this day with the wind coming hard across the pond so I took a couple of quick shots and jumped back into my truck. The ice fishermen were all huddled in their huts and I didn’t blame them.
There are a few photos of sunny days in this post but most of our days have looked more like this, with the sun trying but not quite able to burn through. There was actually snow falling when I took this, in spite of what the sun was doing.
I went to get a closer look at Mount Monadnock on one sunny day because, though it’s easily seen from Keene, I don’t get to see it up close that often. I grew up in the shadow of this mountain and it’s good to know that, no matter where you are in this part of the state, all you have to do is look over your shoulder and there it is, like an old friend.
I’ll never forget climbing up there in mid-April one year through waist deep snow. It must be shoulder deep right now so I think I’ll just stay down here and admire it. The snow might make it harder to climb but it also makes it more beautiful to see.
“It’s snowing still,” said Eeyore gloomily.
“So it is.”
“And freezing.”
“Is it?”
“Yes,” said Eeyore. “However,” he said, brightening up a little, “we haven’t had an earthquake lately.” ~A.A. Milne
Thanks for coming by.
I started out noting that pictures 1 and 5 are splendid. and then I noticed that more and more were splendid. Really nice photography here, Allen.
Thank you!
You’re welcome Cynthia, and thank you.
Love the snow shots and those icicles are spectacular, if dangerous. The Winnie the Pooh quote made me smile. You’ve got to love Eeyore 🙂
Yes, Eeryore was one of my favorites and he hit the nail on the head more than once!
Beautiful photos! The amount of shoveling on the other hand…
Thank you. Yes, the shoveling is getting old but it has to happen!
Reblogged this on Dawn of Divine Rays and commented:
Thank you, Allen. I can’t imagine going out at all whether there are any snow or not. It’s way too cold with wind chill factor minus 10deg F here. I did tell myself when I was a young girl ..that I would never visit those countries with so much snow and anything that’s below zero in centigrade is bad enough for me … well .. guess what .. I am here Now!! And it has gone down to way … way .. below zero Centigrade .. lol .. talk about irony. Wishing you and yours, a beautiful weekend, Allen. Stay indoors .. don’t do anything .. I wouldn’t do, Allen. Namaste
Thank you Agnes, and the same to you.
It’s amazing how tough you turned out to be isn’t it? Below zero cold is dangerous though so I don’t go out picture taking in it. In fact 10 degrees is about all I can stand so I’ll be staying in this weekend!
I hope you have a warm, safe weekend. Just think of those warm summer breezes that are going to blow through that new storm door!
Yes, indeed, Allen. If you were to tell me that I would be experiencing zero deg F .. I would say .. ‘no way’… but Now .. it doesn’t seem that bad .. as long as I stay in .. at home .. with more than 4 layers of clothings, 2 pairs of socks with a thick sandal between my feet and the floor .. lol .. I bet that most people will be laughing at me .. this woman is ‘crazy’ .. lol .. but I don’t care … as long as I’m warm, cozy and happy. Have a beautiful weekend, Allen. Namaste
Thank you Agnes. I doesn’t matter what people think as long as you’re happy. Besides, bundling up when it’s cold is the smart thing to do. Have a great weekend!
Exquisite images. Nature in all her glory. So beautiful. Thank you.
You’re welcome, and thank you for stopping in.
What a beautiful day! I love the bob-house.
Thank you. I was wishing I could have been inside it. It was cold!
I see a lot of birch and aspen bent over just like that in my part of New Hampshire, and have spent a little time thinking about it. I propose that they will spring back, and that it is their ability to do this that allows them to thrive where other trees cannot (since maples and oaks just break when that happens to them). Maybe I’m wrong and they won’t come back, but I sure hope not – for the sake of those trees – I don’t mind being wrong!
I hope you’re right too but I have noticed that most of the trees that were bent over have already stood up again. I see some like the ones in this post that haven’t and, since it’s been a few months now, I wonder if they ever will.
I was worried that a recent heavy snow had bent the branches of our Japanese Yew beyond recovery. They did all bounce back to their former positions after a couple of days. Here we get a sense of the cold by looking at how far out the ice goes in Lake Michigan.
Brushing evergreens off with a broom if the snow is too heavy will help. Our lakes have all frozen over but of course they’re nothing like Lake Michigan.
I love Eeyore’s quote – I found it unusually uplifting for him! It is so interesting to read about your cold and snow as it is difficult for me to imagine. Amelia
Thank you Amelia. Yes Eeyore was strangely upbeat that day. Maybe because he was talking to Christopher Robin and Pooh and Piglet were about to build him a house on Pooh corner.
Sometimes I envy your mild winters. This weekend we will all have to stay inside because the cold is going to be dangerous to be out in, so there won’t be any photographs taken in that kind of weather.
Just think into the future when these will be “the good old days” of cold nights and deep snows.
I hate to think about that but I wouldn’t mind just a little taste of global warming right now.
Beautiful post! I am sorry you are having such a lot of stormy weather. Walking through deep snow takes such a lot of effort I know, though I haven’t had to do it often. Shovelling snow off your roof, trees and plants in your yard must take you hours. One day someone will invent something that tips the snow off without anyone having to climb up and do it manually. The shot of the colourful beech and oak leaves in the snowy wood was my favourite.
Thank you Clare. We’ll get through this weather pattern. We’re used to it here but it can be quite a lot of work after a heavy storm. The last one took me two days to shovel. I like your idea of the self shoveling roof. I’d be one of the first on the list to buy one.
I like that shot of the leaves too. After a dark, cloudy morning they really glowed in the afternoon sun.
I liked the shot of the frozen Ashuelot River best among a grand set of winter finery. I hope that you get a change in the weather soon.
Thank you. I hope so too!
Very beautiful snow scenes and the ice too!! I know it’s tough coping with all the snow, shoveling, hard to travel, etc… You guys have got a lot and looks like there is more to come your way! Stay warm!
Thanks Michael. I think they’re saying that the Thursday storm is going to miss us now, but I’m sure there will probably be one next Monday. After all, it wouldn’t be Monday without one.
It does make it tough but we know it won’t last forever, even if it can make a month seem like forever!
Great photos, and the quote made me laugh out loud! As a fellow New Hampshirite, I sympathize about being done with shoveling.
Thank you Paula. I think you’ve actually gotten more that we have so you must be really buried. I laughed when I found that Eeyore quote too!
Growing up in Minnesota and getting through each winter was such a chore, something that was becoming a distant memory until this winter. This year has been so exceptional, in different ways it has affected all of us.
Thank you Charlie. Getting through winter can be a real chore and it also adds to the expenses, as I’m sure you know. It sounds like you might have seen some snow in Seattle this year.
Snow can be so pretty, but….. I particularly like the close-up of the waterfall, the frozen river and the view of Mount Monadnock.
Thank you. Those icicles are actually from seeping groundwater, believe it or not. They do look like a frozen waterfall though!
The winter scenery photos were beautiful, but I’m glad that it was you out taking them, not me. 😉
It sounds as if you’re getting the amounts of snow that we did last winter when we came close to breaking the all time record for snow. It’s been cold here, and we’re above average for snow, but nowhere near what we got last year.
Try to stay warm, there’s another long lasting blast of Arctic air headed your way. See if you can find someplace indoors where you can see the mountain.
Thanks Jerry! I don’t blame you-it has been really cold out there this winter! We had a winter just like this a few years ago when it snowed just about every other day throughout January. I spent as much time on the roof as I did on the ground that month too.
At least the days are getting longer and the sun is starting to feel warmer. Winter can’t last forever!
We have just dug out from our third Monday/Tuesday storm in three weeks. But we don’t have to shovel the roof here in southern RI, thank Goodness!
….”it’s good to know that, no matter where you are in this part of the state, all you have to do is look over your shoulder and there it is, like an old friend.” Oh, that is a blessing indeed. Sort of like hiking along a familiar trail and coming to the turn where the pond greets us–as you say– like an old friend.
Thanks for the great wintery post!
Best,
Gabrielle
You’re welcome. I haven’t heard too much about the snow situation in Rhode Island but it sounds as though every storm that has hit us has visited you as well. You’re lucky that you don’t have to shovel roofs!
There’s nothing like having special places to hike to, be it a pond, mountain, or even a patch of woods. Once you’ve seen them enough they do become old friends. My life is certainly richer because of all the “friends” I visit regularly.
Eeyore,, the eternal optimist !
Yes, we could learn a lot from that donkey!
Eeyore can always put things in perspective and this winter we’ll take all the sage advice we can get. 🙂
I agree Judy. Eeyore reminded me that no matter how bad it seems, it can always be worse!
New England certainly has been hit hard with snow this past month. I can admire your beautiful images secure in the memory that this past Sunday we set a record with temperatures that were in the mid 60’s.
You’re lucky you left New England when you did Mike! This winter has been one to remember, so I can’t wait to see 60 degrees again. We reached 40 late yesterday afternoon and it was heaven.
Lovely shots of our corner of the world. I see Monadnock every day and never stop to think how deep the snow on top much be. Those icicles on the highway always fascinate me too. What makes them so blue??
Thanks Martha. Yes, the snow on Monadnock is unforgettable once you’ve had to crawl through it. The colors in ice can be caused by the density of it and the way the light reflects from it, as in the case of blue ice. Green, orange, red, and other colors are caused by minerals that leach out of the soil.
Reblogged this on Writing Out Loud and commented:
Great pictures and love the quote at the end. My wife’s from California. And don’t forget that Florida has hurricanes and Arizona heat.
Thanks for the re-blog Bob. I agree-we could be a lot worse off than we are!
With all this snow, I hope spring takes its time warming up. If it does it too quickly, mud season is going to be a bear this year! Stay warm!
Me too Laura. This mud season will probably be one too remember. Another one where school buses get swallowed up to their axels.
Enjoy Arizona. We’re supposed to see below zero wind chills all weekend, so there’s probably no need to hurry home.
I can’t imagine shovelling snow from the roof, do you mean from a single storey building? And shoulder deep snow, what happens when it starts to thaw, that sounds an incredible amount.
We do it all the time here Julie. Every year you hear of houses collapsing under the weight of the snow and there have been quite a few that have gone down already this year. I’m lucky that I have just a singly story; the people with two and three stories have it even harder.
Parts of the state have gotten four feet of snow, so it’s safe to say that the mountains probably have shoulder deep or even deeper snow. You don’t travel far up there without snow shoes!
When it all starts to melt we have what we call our 5th season-mud season. That usually happens in March.
Having to cope with all that snow sounds exhausting, poor you. I loved the pictures of those enormous icicles and the bright coloured leaves in the sunshine, what a contrast. Thank you for the quote, really funny.
Thank you Susan. Yes, shoveling snow has become almost a full time job and it is exhausting. I thought you’d like those icicles and I went and took those photos with you in mind.
Eeyore’s quote sounded perfect for this post!
I feel honoured that you took those icicles for me to enjoy, thank you very much.
You’re welcome Susan. I know that you’re fond of those icicles.