Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The Sky is Falling!

Not really.  It's just snow ...that fluffy white stuff that happens when the temperatures drop enough to transform the moisture laden rain clouds into snow clouds.  The rain started about 7:30 this morning.  I had been at work for 30 minutes already, so the roads were dry and clear for my forty minute commute.  By 10:30, the rain had turned to sleet and by the time my workday was over, there was definitely snow mixed with the rain and sleet.  It was gusty too, so the big fluffy snowflakes were twisting and turning every which way on their way down.  It made for an interesting drive home. 

The roads really weren't bad.  I have to work late this Friday, so I got to leave at 1:00pm today.  That put me on the highway before most of the rest of the homeward bound commuters.  It's not that I mind sharing the highway and I don't even mind driving home in snow and ice as much as some people.  I spent a good many years in Virginia and Colorado so I am not unacquainted with driving on slick icy roads.  But this is central Texas and there are a lot of natives here that have seen snow maybe four times in their lives ...driven in snow maybe half that many times.  They are flatlanders, bless their hearts, and I prefer NOT to share the highway with them while they figure things out.  But all was well and I made it home in the normal 45 minutes. 

The snow was still falling and there was about an inch accumulation in our yard when I pulled in the driveway.  I changed into some warmer duds, donned Yeoldfurt's coat (way warmer than mine ...ha!) and borrowed his 'extra' straw hat to go out and play in the snow.  I told Yeoldfurt, "I'm taking the camera and going walk-about in the snow!"  He laughed. 

I walked around and took pictures for about an hour.   Some of the pictures came out kind of fuzzy, but seeing any accumulation of snow in these parts is too rare not to share the photographs!

I was standing up by the road looking down our driveway for this picture.  

I walked about halfway down the driveway to take this picture.  The snow was falling pretty heavy.  Those are live oaks around the house.  The white line you see running along the fenceline is electric fence tape that we had to put around all the fences to keep the horses from scratching their butts on the wire!  Silly horses.  

And this one was taken at the corner of the front yard.  Those big green spots in the yard are because the live oaks are dense enough to keep the snow out from under them. 

The ground slopes downhill away from the house toward a catch pond in the middle of the pasture.  I was halfway to the pond when I took this picture.  You can see how big the live oaks are about the house.  We have aerial photographs of this place taken when the house was built in 1985 and those oak trees were mere saplings.  Twenty-five years is not long for a tree, but I'm amazed at how big they've grown in that length of time.  

Walking back up the driveway from the pasture toward the house, I took this picture of the raised bed garden we built last year.  It's 16 x 16, with 8 sections separated by 2x12 'walk' boards.  As eager as I am to see green stuff growing in those beds, I'm glad I didn't jump the gun two weeks ago.  Old Man Winter is obviously still with us!

These last two photos were taken in the front yard.  The yellow flowers are daffodils and I'm not sure what the white ones are ...other than pretty!  They look like daffodils, only smaller.  I had daffodils and crocus and all manner of bulb flowers in Colorado so I know these are snow and cold hardy.
 
The snow stopped falling about 6:00pm and it won't be cold enough tomorrow to keep the snow from melting, so I'm glad I was home early enough to today to take these pictures.  

15 comments:

  1. Oh it looks so pretty!

    I'm glad you were able to share the pictures too :D

    We had rain here today, well, it is still raining as I type.

    Thanks HB :)

    Hugs to you and YOF.
    ~Fel~

    ReplyDelete
  2. ACK! I HATE that stuff!!! Heh heh heh. Seriously, I do... This cold snap fooled my cottonwoods, they were starting to bud. I was thinking about turning over the garden in the next few weeks myself, but I think I'll hold off just a bit longer. Our last garden (planted late) got wiped out by "Gorebal Warming" frost way too early, so this time I'm gonna err on the side of caution.

    The weather guy said we might get flurries down here tonight. It's damn sure cold enough. Palm trees and snow flurries just don't go together! And I miss my shorts. I'm beyond ready for spring....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah, Fel ...fluffy white stuff is a nice change from all the rain we've had this winter. It's all gone now though. I knew it wouldn't last so I'm glad I got the pictures.

    Mayb ...we turned the garden several weeks ago and worked some good compost in. We really should do it again one more time before we plant but don't know if we'll get around to it. Always so much to do, so little time!

    I hope the snow misses your neck of the woods, Mayb! Winters like this make us appreciate spring all the more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. After the last snow I went through in Colorado, I could do without snow! I love to go to it, but I don't want it coming to me. Thank you for letting us see it from a safe distance! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  5. And flower #2, Narcissus, related to the daffodil. Late winter/early spring bloomers.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_%28plant%29

    Can't tell you the variety though.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ah snow-such fond memories(not). The homestead looks nice. Thanks for the pics. Any fish in the pond?

    See Ya

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Paula ...
    I'm with you about snow. I enjoy it ONCE in a WHILE but when I lived in Colorado for four years, it was a pain in the neck that the sidewalks had to be shoveled before 9am ...which meant before 5am for me because I had to be at work at 6am. Ugh! But it's fun once in a while down here.

    @AKA...
    Thanks ...narcissus, of course! The lady that had this house built in 1985 apparently loved bulb flowers. Many different varieties are planted at the base of all the big trees, by the clothesline poles and along parts of the fence. Always something blooming.

    @Tony...
    No fish in the pond, sorry. It's a really SMALL pond and not spring fed, so in prolonged drought conditions, it dries up. The horses love to drink from it though. We can scrub their troughs and put fresh clean water in there everyday and they will still trek down to the pond for a drink. Guess it's flavored water to them. Ha!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice pictures, guess I'll have to get another camera and take some shot and show you Texans what REAL snow looks like here in PA. LOL. More coming tonight, could be a foot of the heavy, wet stuff. I am sssooo ready for spring.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I know it wasn't more than a dusting as snowfall goes, but it's pretty when you're not used to seeing it. I need a new camera too. Mine complains loudly (muffled grinding sound) when I turn it on lately. That can't be good.

    Spring is around the corner for all of us. Stay warm!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful photos. Have a nice day Radka.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you, Radka. I visited your blog too...the pictures of you son are adorable!

    Enjoy your day also. : )

    ReplyDelete
  12. adore snow...especially the huge-flake kind, but ice...not so much. :| glad you didn't have trouble getting home.

    sweet daffodils!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi, Janean...

    Driving in the snow is not as much fun as playing in the snow ...especially if you have to share the road with 'snow rookies' ...ha! But playing in the snow, even a little dusting of a snow, is fun. Especially when it's so rare down here.

    Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well, I hope you enjoyed the short lived snow...that's the best kind! We've had more than normal for Arkansas this year. It's the sunless gray days that get to me and we've had a lot of them. That's spingtime here and then about May it finally gets nice. I think I can make it....

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hello, Joycee!

    I did enjoy the snow. It was only a few hours but what fun and I have pictures to remember it by. We're anxious for spring too. We bought four fruit trees (2 peach and 2 plum) last weekend and will be planting potatoes this coming weekend. Texas has a LONG growing season!

    I enjoy 'Granny Mountain' very much. I'm glad you came to visit today. : )

    ReplyDelete