Most of you in the PNW will get that today was a big day. Big snow day that is! We normally get a little dusting once or twice each year, but with a touch over a foot on the ground at our place now, and more supposedly on it’s way, we have been loving it. Not to say it’s without hardship. My lunch hour today was spent pushing snow around. Our loafing sheds were not built with the intent of supporting more than a foot or so of snow, and so, as I wrapped up with some of the day job work, and had a quick bite, I had to commit the next hour to snow clearing. The last time I had to do this was several years ago, at about 11pm, with my wife in the hospital (20 weeks pregnant with our second child) and our first, at 4 years old, tucked into bed. I had the baby monitor on my hip and as I struggled to the top of the step ladder with the push broom, I though to myself “please Lord, just don’t let the power go out” cue the drums, and snap lights out. 3, 2, 1… and back on again. I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry…
Today was much better. I didn’t drag the SLR around with me, but snapped a few quick shots with the cell phone…
Chickens don’t mind the snow, if cracked corn is involved. Ducks don’t seem to mind either way. Unless large globs of snow are falling off the trees, then it’s every duck for herself!
That would be the pygora (with the high end thick warm coat) coming out of the loafing shed. The Nubians? no thank you.
I managed to break the handle off the broom (I supposed they are not meant to push 14″ of snow around), and while in the new tool shed replacing it (can you believe I actually had a spare?) a House Wren managed to fly in the open door… Very confused about getting out, but he finally figured it out.
Paths were cleared for the turkeys to get to the water as well. Apparently they don’t have the ground clearance for deep snow…
The two edged sword of working from home? I ended up working till right before dinner, cause well, I was almost done, right?
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The Farm Blog 
Sounds like our day… Brandon and I saved the following from snow collapse: tents protecting hay and wood pellets, field fencing, garden fencing, chicken wire, fruit trees and of course, the ever important trampoline. Snow is fun and snow is work!
Good to hear from you Angie, it is fun to have a foot of snow on the ground, and WORK!!
That looks cold! Keep warm out there.
We will! We’ve got a bunch of dry seasoned wood stacked up in the shed, as long as we can keep the critter water from freezing, we’ll be fine.
I found your blog via a mention over at Down to Earth blog. You’re in the PNW? I just moved from Oregon to California at the end of August. I miss Oregon and the snow…but I don’t miss the ice 😉 🙂 Keep those chickens warm. They are really cute for chickens 😉 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of Californa, Heather 🙂
Thanks Heather! They are happy as can be, no drop in egg production, and that’s often the first sign of touble.
Directed here through Down to Earth. Beautiful pictures! Enjoy your snow 🙂
Thanks Kelly! I’m curious where you found the mention/link.. Always a wonder who knows about who on the interwebs!
Rhonda from the Down To Earth Blog here: http://down—to—earth.blogspot.com/
She mentioned you in her weekend reading. She has an awesome blog too 🙂
Amazing pics. Such a different story on my side of the world!
No kidding Jade! We are looking forward to getting that sun back in another five or six months!
The chooks and ducks look so adorable trudging through the snow! 😉
~S.
Do you have a couple Delaware chickens? They look like the ones we have.
No, we don’t have any Delaware’s. We have Brahama’s, Jersey Giants, one Turkin, and a few others. I’m guessing your looking at the two Jersey Giants…
The ducks, they look like they’re paddling through the snow! Our chickens aren’t terribly receptive to the snow. Or the cold. They’ll venture out for kitchen scraps, and will even stay outside for a spell if it’s a milder day.
Normally our chickens stay in the coop when it snows, for some reason today some of them decided to come explore. The ducks and geese never seem to mind the snow much, I think it’s in part because ducks have some special vascular structures in their feet to help keep their warm blood in their bodies…