Friday, December 12, 2008

A wet, slippery trip to the barn.........

This is what our path looked like as we stepped out to go to the barn this morning. It was and continues to freezing rain - everything is covered with a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of ice. 80,000 people are without power, including our neighbors 1/2 mile down the road. We are so fortunate that our power is still on. All schools and many businesses are closed due to road conditions and loss of power. Chores went fine, all the animals are snug in their barns, fed and watered and we will wait out the storm.
Tom ventured out with camera:


The ice is so damaging to our beautiful white and yellow birch trees but it does look beautiful.

the ice weighs down the pine branches

wooden rail fence

the old hay rake
wire on the chicken tractor

flowering crab apple tree

The storm is supposed to let up around lunchtime and then the temps are supposed to drop and everything will freeze solid.......as long as all the critters are fine and we are ok, we don't get nervous. It gives us all a chance to be home together and after all, we do live in New England by choice :)

10 comments:

Christy said...

Yikes! That looks like something.

Tammy said...

It's beautiful...but it makes me tense up inside when I hear the word ice storm! We had a doozy here in 2007--destroyed trees (took many of them down to the ground), and knocked out our power for 13 days. Still cleaning up from it. Here is hoping yours will not turn out too severe! And be careful out there.
Tammy

DayPhoto said...

I was watching the weather channel this morning and saw you were int he middle of a big storm. Couldn't help but wonder how you were doing.

I love your barn, but the ice to the barn is something else.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

Egghead said...

Wow. I enlarged the first photo and can really see how bad it is. When we have ice storms it usually brings down several trees. The roots here are pretty shallow because we get so much rain so a good ice storm or wind storm will topple many. Hope you stay warm and cozy through this.

threecollie said...

Wow, you really got nailed! Tom's photography is amazing though. I especially love the one of the ice on the chicken tractor. Hope you thaw out soon!!

Michelle said...

Nothing is as beautiful -- or damaging -- as a heavy freezing rain! We're worried that some of that may fall while we are gone, and depending on someone who has to drive down her hill and up our hill to do our chores twice a day. If the power goes out as well...I don't want to think about it. I also don't want to go (tickets are fully refundable), but Rick wants to soldier on. It is, after all, HIS family we are going to see.

Candy Duell said...

Wow, that is a mess, a beautiful mess, but a mess. The ice missed us, they got clobbered South of us. We got mostly snow out of this one. My son got called in at midnight last night to plow/salt the roads. Take care on that ice!

Far Side of Fifty said...

Hope you get to keep your electricity! Awesome photographs! :)

Nancy K. said...

Wow! It's amazing that something with the potential to be so deadly can be so beautiful! Tom did an excellent job of capturing the magnificence of the storm.

Stay safe and warm!

Unknown said...

That first photo is just amazing! Wow!! As a devoted weather channel person, I was wondering how you were doing up your way....now I know and glad to hear your family is well & has power. Three years ago we had a really bad ice storm and from all the freezing it split a very large trunk on one of my willows....made for good firewood eventually:) Keep safe and warm in front of that awesome stove you have:)