deep freeze

My neighbor informed me yesterday morning that I had survived my first true Vermont winter blast. Temps here were almost -20F, but lower by as much as 12 degrees in some of the surrounding areas.  Something I didn't remember, when a true arctic blast comes, it is actually colder in lower elevations (what Arkansas people would call hollows) than up in the hills.  Guess that is why we were warmer than surrounding areas, if you can tell a difference in -20 and -30. 

Despite the cold, the two sub zero days were brilliantly sunny and calm,  so the few times I got out with the dogs, get the mail, etc., didn't seem too bad. Even so, moisture froze in my mustache just going out for the mail.  

We are returning to seasonal normals or even warmer.  Tomorrow is supposed to get above 30. 

Winter Fun

Some views of our big snowfall yesterday. Overall, we got about 6 inches, but in some places, it is over a foot deep.  Spent an hour on the tractor this morning clearing the driveway and the dog run.

 The flag is blowing to the Southwest - proof of the Nor-Easter.

 Best part of the whole day!

Let it Snow Round 2

Woke up to hard snow fall  and howling north wind this morning and it has snowed/howled all day, at times enough to bring visibility down to about 100 yards.  At 4 p, it lightened up. but it is supposed to continue into the night.  At 4, accumulations ranged from 4 to 10 inches.  As with the last storm, we are at the edge of the big Northeaster that is hitting Boston and Southern New England so hard.

Watching the dogs react to this weather has been entertaining.  Lucy is ready to go in snow up to about 4 inches, but she has to leap if it is 6 inches deep.  Her little corgi legs just don't work well in more than 6 inches.  One day I watched her sink up to her tail.  With a surprised look of "what the hell" on her face, she literally jumped backwards out of the deep snow and took an alternative route.  Today, though, her main interest was getting back into the house. She doesn't think about exploring the woods these days.  I am sure the porcupine would be relieved, if he knew.