Before and After

The temperature wavers between just below freezing and just above, but it keeps on snowing. The snow is heavy and sticky. It should be called “slushing.” Everything is sagging – electric lines, branches, and my mood. I’m surprised we still have power.

This is what my favorite tree looked like this afternoon.

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I feared that it would break under the weight of the snow. So I shook it.

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It shed some small branches and last year’s robin’s nest, but it sprang back to shape. I should have before and after pictures of me – I went from dry to snow-covered. This is not the sort of snow that slides off my jacket, or flutters down. It whomped me and got under my collar. But, it was worth it. The tree is a “Fox River Birch.” It has the most gorgeous bark, and every year wrens and robins make their nests in it’s branches. Tomorrow I’ll have to go shake the Chinese Beech trees in my backyard. They’re twice as big. I’ll have to wear protective headgear. Maybe my son’s fencing helmet?

Comments:

  1. Terry—it’s beautiful. The snow is so pretty but it looks soooooo cold.

  2. The snow should worry. But she is beautiful too … all white … The look is wonderful. And here in my country is still very hot! Phew .. that heat!

  3. Good for you for shaking off your lovely tree! As beautiful as the snow is, it can be deadly.

    We’re getting the beauty of the snow, without the weight ~ We get a beautiful, heavy FROST every morning that coats everything with a crystal blanket of white that doesn’t threaten to break anything!

    • Frost is pretty, but ice is dangerous. There’s no wind, so everything is still covered. I shook off the blueberry bushes this morning.

      • Terry next time take your rake and use that to shake the tree, you will not have to stand under it.
        I am getting tired of wiping dog paws. It has been above freezing here for a good week now, no wind, no sun and pleanty of fog so the ground is a muddy mess.

        • The mud is why I don’t keep feathered-leg hens, as much as I love cochins – this mess gets on them and then freezes. I can’t bear to see it.

  4. I forgot my wink after my first sentence, otherwise it sounded like I was being a smarty pants, I hope you understand it was a little ribbing. ;-)

  5. Speaking of feathers have you had to give the polish girls a haircut yet?
    Wrongway and Whichway got theirs this past weekend.