I guess the worst is over, although the weekend mostly lived up to the weather fellas' dire predictions. Liz made it into school for her advanced ruminant nutrition final, although there were accidents everywhere. It isn't really all that hard to drive in this kind of snow, but you can't drive fast and careless, yakking on your cell phone and changing CDs. People have to try though.
The wind was wild last night. It shook the house (and this house is not easily shaken). This morning the sculpted snow drifts are scattered with box elder seeds. They cling much more tightly to their parent trrees than do the seeds of most members of the maple family, but last night's wild tumult freed them. Next spring the hardly, weedy, little trees will crop up everywhere. (I can't believe that the company that I linked to there actually SELLS them. It seems like selling dandelions. If you want a few thousand, just give me a shout next spring.)
The common winter birds are here in force. I sure didn't need to pish to call them out of the bushes Saturday (which is a good thing, since mostly the only thing that comes when I do is Gael). They wanted to fill up their tanks and practically mobbed me when I went out to fill their feeders. Today they are gleaning the brushy areas more than eating at the feeders. (Maybe they like box elder seeds.) Or maybe they just don't like the wind.
Hope you are warm. Hope the guys can get the hydraulic lines back on the spreader tractor (heifers pulled them off and everything is frozen-boss is not happy.) Hope summer is thinking of us down where it is hibernating.
About Me
- threecollie
- Embracing agricultural diversity, one species at a time. All rights reserved
I have the same problem with green ash and elm trees. Box elders don't do that great here thank heaven.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya about the box elders. And they come with their own beetle, which is a nuisance as well.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't get as much as was forecast, but we got enough for the kids to be happy. lol. Mighty cold here, tho.
How are you doing after that fall on the ice?
PR, I sure wouldn't miss 'em, although my son cuts them down and lets them lie there for a year then we burn them for hot water. They are lousy for heat.
ReplyDeleteMrs. M, we kind of get a kick out of the box elder bugs. We have a pet one that is wintering in the milk house and we keep moving it to safety when it gets itself in predicaments.
I am pretty much recovered and real glad that I drink a lot of milk. That was a real bone crusher of a fall.