edge of town

Going north on a snowy day, you see the last building in Monterey, stripped down to its stick frame. Some cultures build round like nests. We do squares and rectangles. Looks like electricity thinks in right angles, too.

snow blows

February around here racked up a record 41-point-something inches of snow. Dorcas and the four braved a weekend get-away to our other family homeland, Grantsville, at 2,300 feet above sea level. Forty-one inches was nothing there. Here she and Stephanie stand outside the back door of the motel. In the Appalachian highlands snowfall totals are being measured in feet. A record-breaking 20 feet this winter. Joel photo

the day after: digging out

West Eby kids had school today. One father returns from pulling the sled with his two children, and notices the milk truck stuck. When it finally makes it to our house it gets stuck again and a tractor pulls it away finally. It's almost 3 p.m. and our road is not yet opened to the west of us.

blizzard rages

Early afternoon the drifting is supposed to overtake the effect of the falling snow. The bird feeder is already slightly below the level of the snow. So I dig a trench around it and place a piece of plywood to shelter these imperiled two-ounce birds. Notice the one on the feeder and the one in the trench. Four times or more today I've dug the walk between the house and the barn.

having gotten out

Having gotten out, I saw neighbors who had used a horse and sleigh to get out. And to get around.

getting out

First it was my own snow shovel and sweat; and I backed the Outback through a narrow canyon. Okay, canyon's a little exaggerated. Then Aaron widened the end of the driveway with the plow rigged onto his front loader. While he's at work, along comes the township with its tractor to open Red Lane. The Protege will just have to wait another day.

snowplow scares horse

This neighbor's horse shied away from the township snowplow and got stuck in the ditch. Makes a nice neighborhood story when Montereyans converge and save horse, buggy and passengers. The plow driver even finally got involved when they pulled the buggy out of the ditch.

the snow job

Look out my door and see the path to the office already drifting shut. Look to the left and see a shrub squared off with the snow. Look to the right and see swirls between the bushes. Sarah and I had had an appointment today in Haddonfield, N. J., for the harp's annual regulation. I'm enjoying shades of white.

it's beginning to look a lot like...

...a blizzard. But what a gentle, soft relaxing one. Just as I download the photo from camera to computer, the email cancelling church comes to my inbox. Those lights are LED ones, a sign of the times.

woodpecker in snow

Snow was falling lightly after breakfast. A pair of red-bellied woodpeckers had some seeds outside the window. Step carefully when walking down a snowy roof! Now help me out if you know this bird is not a red-bellied.

more of that snow

Snow makes Monterey look better. I couldn't resist another shot I got.

Look at the dark barn door to see some flakes.

Foreground shows the new plantings from the flagstone walk landscaping. Expensive flagstones just disappeared.

first 2008 snow

Snow in January--kind of a cliche. But when you haven't seen snow for a while it looks enchanting all over again.

Here's 3 o'clock at Monterey yesterday. That's the white oak, left, which won't let its dead leaves fall until the buds push them away in the spring. The oak is huddled against one of our live Christmas trees from yesteryear--a fir a think.