Made it back up from doing the chicken chores. We got about 6 – 8 inches of snow last night and have had winds over 45MPH today. My normal path down to the chickens had hip high snow drifts. I took a detour of sorts but still had to walk through knee high drifts.
There is a crust on the top of the drifts and most of the time I didn’t sink down through but occasionally I would. I was balancing a bucket of water in one hand and a bucket of feed in the other. The buckets acted like hiking poles of sorts. There is a thick layer of ice under the snow. My yard has lots of bare spots where the snow has blown off of it. On the way back up to the house I had a Mary Poppins minute when the wind caught one of the empty buckets and tried to carry us away.
I managed to get the gate into the pen open. The doors to the coop were frozen shut. I used the feed bucket as a hammer to knock the ice off the latch to the door and it worked. It was a struggle to pull the door open as it was frozen in places but I got it. Grateful I went down as they were out of water. I will have to replace their water can tomorrow and lay some more dry straw down.
The girls gave me 11 frozen rocks (I mean eggs) today. They all seemed to be surviving the storm ok. No dead ones yet!
I think I will count that as my exercise for the day. I was worn out by the time I got back up to the house. Walking in the high wind and through the deep drifts was a challenge. I don’t think I will take the trash down today – not worth the risk to my life to do so. I think I can get my car out but not sure. I don’t want to get stuck and I don’t have anywhere I have to go so am not going to try it.
Hopefully the wind will slow down this evening. It isn’t to be so windy tomorrow. There have been times today the snow is blowing so hard I can’t see the chicken coop.
Felt a bit claustrophobic today knowing I couldn’t get out if I wanted to. It doesn’t usually bother me but it hit hard this morning. I’m grateful the chicken chores are done for the day. Maybe now my anxiety can calm down and I can settle in for the night.
The lights blinked off and then came back on this morning. Grateful I haven’t lost power. Grateful I have the propane fireplace to keep me warm if the power does go off. Lots around have no power. I feel for them.
I’m so grateful I canceled my appointment for KU today. Not sure I would have been able to make it back home if I made it there. This weather is not fit to be out in unless you absolutely have to be out and about. I haven’t seen a winter storm like this one for a long time. I’m afraid the snow is going to be on the ground for a long time as we have a major cold front coming in with temperatures in the single digits for the high and lows will be below zero. Yuck! Calgon, take me away!
The dogs, on the other hand, are loving this weather. They have a heat lamp in their box in the garage as well as a heating pad but they are choosing to lay outside. They don’t seem to be minding the cold and wind in the least.
On a day like this I feel very small. Mother Nature is putting on quite a show today and I have to respect her power. It can make me feel a bit powerless though.
My heart goes out to those that have no power or no back up food supply. I am so blessed to be able to tuck in my warm house and know that I have all that I need without having to get out. I can stay home the rest of the week if needed and I will be fine. Not everyone can do that.
Feel like baking some cookies today so may do that when I get done blogging. I don’t eat them but can always freeze them and find a home for them another day. I need to find something to do other than sit and baking sounds fun for some reason today.
How did the pioneers survive winter on the plains way back when? I have a lot of respect and awe for them. I can’t imagine living through this is a log cabin like they lived in.
Grateful the chicken chores are done for the day, grateful to be tucked inside my warm house with lots of food, and grateful the wind will be slowing down this evening.