SNOW, Hummingbird, Sapsucker

We had a total of 11" of snow mid January over about 5 days. I love the big fluffy flakes.  It gets so quiet too.

The trees were covered in 5-6" of snow with an icy undercoat. We tried to knock  the snow off some branches but the ice coating made it very difficult.  The trees and bushes look very pretty with the snow flocking, but it is hard on some of them. We had a lot of broken branches like this one on the peach tree.

The snow started on a Friday, we had plenty of supplies so we did not leave the yard until the next Thursday. We took Jim's truck. When we got back home he parked it behind my car rather than in it's usual place by the fence and trees. The next morning we went out and found the top of our pine tree broken off and laying right in the spot his truck would have been had he reparked in his regular place. It would have damaged the canopy shell and maybe even the roof of the cab. You can see the tire tracks made by the truck when He pulled out the day before, with the tree top right smack in the middle! Yikes! That was a close one.

We have been able to keep a hummingbird around all winter this year by keeping the feeder out and full of sugar water. I have two feeders, and either bring the outside one in at night if the temp is going to be freezing or just put a new one out very first thing in the AM. During the snow the little hummer used the feeder often, all day. When it is not so cold and bugs are available we don't see it as much. We put the feeder right in front of the window so we can watch it .

 During the snow we also had a Sapsucker just outside, off the deck working over the Fir tree. He pecks little holes all in a row, just deep enough to get to the sappy layer. He comes back throughout the day and eats the sap. He has many of these "hole" gardens on the tree and works at them constantly.

Sadie doesn't react to the snow like some dogs do (Rudy), by getting silly and playful, She just takes it in stride and carries on.

One more snow picture. This is a picture of the county road when we went out to get supplies. Not plowed nor sanded.  Hard to tell where the road is, you can see branches hanging over the road too. The main roads weren't much better. Parking lots! Slushy messes.