Marking One Year!

Time sure has flown by this past year. It is hard to believe that we moved in on March 23, 2013!!

Last log of winter

Another 6 inches of snow fell on the last morning of winter, then we had another inch during the day, then more on the first night of spring.  It's going to be a while before all of our snow melts.

Because the cold is holding on, we'll still be having plenty more fires.  However, yesterday the last piece of firewood of winter was photographed just before going in the stove.  We thought some red oak would be appropriate, since it's such a great wood for burning.

Survived another storm

The big storm gave us about 20 inches of snow.  March has been very cold, even for us.  Of the 18 mornings so far, a dozen or more have had lows below zero.  The first three pics below are near the house, with the second showing the tractor in action again.

Our solar panels cleared off soon after the storm, thanks to some roof raking.  We had lots of sun yesterday, with another clear day today.

We had so much snow, our neighbor used his big tractor for clearing the driveway.  This week's sun will help clear some of the residual snow from the travel area.

Spring arrives Thursday afternoon, but it looks like well into April before we'll have enough cleared ground to fire up the brush cutter and chainsaws.

Old Man Win-tah won't die!

As spring nears, we're getting a major winter snowstorm.  We might get two feet before this monster event wraps up tomorrow afternoon.  The tractor has been getting a great work out!

Sun here, snow to the south

As much of the nation struggles with a snow storm, Northern New Hamsphire was basking in some great sunshine.   We produced 33.59 kilowatt/hours from the solar panels today.  Our meter was really moving backwards.  This was the most solar production we had since September 6.  This was also a special day because we surpassed 4 megawatt/hours of production since our installation on May 15.  That's 4,000 total kilowatt/hours!  Thank you, oh brilliant yellow orb!!!!

Birches

Several inches of snow today contrasts with the wonderful sunshine of yesterday.  Here are a few pictures of paper birches taken during a morning walk, accompanied by favorite lines from Frost's timeless poem, "Birches."

When I see birches bend to left and right

Across the lines of straighter darker trees,

I like to think some boy's been swinging them.

But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay

As ice-storms do. Often you must have seen them

Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning

After a rain. They click upon themselves

As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored

As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.

Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells

Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust—

Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away

You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. 

I should prefer to have some boy bend them

As he went out and in to fetch the cows—

Some boy too far from town to learn baseball,

Whose only play was what he found himself,

Summer or winter, and could play alone.

One by one he subdued his father's trees

By riding them down over and over again

Until he took the stiffness out of them

So was I once myself a swinger of birches.

And so I dream of going back to be

I'd like to get away from earth awhile

And then come back to it and begin over.

May no fate willfully misunderstand me

And half grant what I wish and snatch me away

Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:

I don't know where it's likely to go better. 

I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,

And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk

Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,

But dipped its top and set me down again.

That would be good both going and coming back.

One could do worse than be a swinger of birches. 

Fresh snow for February

January didn't bring us much snow, but three inches fell late yesterday into this morning.  Wednesday could be a big storm, depending on the track.  Although we didn't get much, the tractor was out this a.m. to clear the way, just in case we get a foot later this week.

Snow was sliding off the roof all morning, thanks to the temps above freezing.  We'll get a good deal of sun Monday and Tuesday, so the cleared solar panels will be happy!

This deer was pictured last week.