Walking In The Winter

I must say, I was extremely skeptical that we were going to get the amount of snow they were predicting yesterday and last night.  It just wasn't getting cold enough.  But, lo and behold, not too far after the time they said it would change, it did.  And then it didn't hold back.  I don't know if it was the snow (the novelty of it rarely wears off on a southerner) or the lasagna I made for supper but I really had trouble sleeping last night and was up early too.  After a quick breakfast I figured I better get out if I wanted any photos because the highs they were predicting would cause a fast melt.

We got about 4 1/2- 5 inches, but that's a fair amount for this part of Alabama.  Some places north of us got 10 inches.  It was one of the prettiest snows I've ever seen.  The trees were heavily lined with snow transforming them into enormous confections.  And there really was a otherworldly blue cast to everything.  I did not retouch these photos.

Unfortunately, southern snow is often heavy and wet, due to our humidity and the soft pines do not fare well.
We had some large limbs down but gratefully, no trees and no limbs on power lines.

Gates protecting bare nothingness.

I had never seen this happen before.  We got a layer of ice first and I guess that helped the snow cling to the wire instead of falling through.  This is the roof of our bitty pen, now solid.  The ground underneath was completely bare.

The soft netting above the big hens' larger run did not fare as well.  We will have a few repairs to do here.

 
For some reasons the chickens just love to eat the snow.   And yes, I warned them about the yellow stuff.

Standing down near the chicken coop looking up towards the front yard.

Another version of the garden.

This bird doesn't mind the snow.  I had to laugh at the Easter Eggers again.  I let the chickens out and most of the hens slowly made their way out and trudged through the snow up to the house where there were bare spots under the trees.  The Easter Eggers came out as a group, gingerly took a few steps into the snow, considered a few minutes and then seemed to say, 'this is bullshit, let's go back inside!'

The burning bush has cooled a bit.

Chigger and Callie had a high time playing in the snow.  Yes, even Callie.  I have never seen a cat that liked to play in the snow.  She was having a blast.

Here you see the elusive southern snow leopard....rarely captured on film, er..pixels?

Mama, I'm doing all the running....what's up with that??

Heading up the mountain.

I had to laugh that Chigger will now pose on command.  Give Lassie a run for her money.

About halfway up.

It was very beautiful and peaceful up on the side of the ridge.  So quiet.

Some of ya'll might have noticed that I've posted a lot more than usual this week.  I'll tell ya'll why Saturday!!