Last week we had a few nice warm days and it felt wonderful to accomplish some outdoor work without having to bundle up to do it. During this warm stretch, we decided to start maple sugaring. A nor'easter was predicted for the next day and we didn't want to have to trudge through the snow to put in the taps as in previous years. Being that it has been a cold year, sugaring season is starting later than normal.
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| First the hole is drilled... |
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| the tap is hammered in... |
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| then the bucket is hung on the hook and the cover slid on. |
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| Drilling more trees |
The storm started in the night and lasted almost two days! The snow pilled up very quickly and the wind blew it every which way. It found its way into any crack it could fit through in the barn and outdoor buildings. When I went to milk the goat the first night, I found a quarter inch of snow inside the milking area!
We had to keep re-shoveling the paths to the barn because the wind blew the snow back into them. The total accumulation was about two feet and the drifts were even deeper!
Now we are waiting for it to melt...but I think it will take a while with the warm weather at -6 degrees! :) It is always easy to tell when it is below zero as I go to grab the milk pail while milking, and my fingers stick to it!
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| A drift at the back door |
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| Shoveling |
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The storm has ended
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| Is Spring here yet??? |
So...will it ever warm up? With Spring only two days away and the temperatures in the negatives at night, sometimes it doesn't feel like it ever will. But with the days getting longer and the sun warmer, spring has to be just around the corner. :-)
