Beauty and horror of what lies beneath.

In my last entry the farm looked pristine under a deep blanket of snow. Since then the temperatures have soared to a high of 48 degrees F from a low of minus 18 F.

My Gurney's seed and plant catalog arrived and looking through it I started to feel the stirrings of spring fever, so I grabbed my camera and went off in search of signs of spring. What I found was that nature had been thriving very well under the deep snow.

I don't rake leaves or cut back plants in the autumn because I hope maybe the debris will help protect the plants through the winter. Here is a Columbine with new growth at it's base.



I can't remember the name of this ground cover plant. It has pretty pink flowers.



A rose.



Starlings are great imitators and they must have been feeling a bit of spring fever as well because one of them was imitating a Meadow Lark and it felt even more like spring to me then.


I spotted some grass and had to stop and take a picture. The cows spotted some too because they left the feeder and headed out to graze.



I love nature, it inspires me. I love how plants and animals find a way to survive no matter how bleak things seem. A tomato seed somehow got in one of my house plant pots and even though it was lanky, scrawny and under-watered, it found a way to flourish and blossom.



This is Crab Creek (looking west) about a mile above our place. This little creek will be a lot different when the melt water from the north gets in to it. Then it becomes 'The Mighty Crab'.



A few years ago during the thaw, Crab Creek was really deep and had backed up by the willows enough that it went through an old culvert and water was rushing on both sides of the levy. I drove my jeep to take a look at it and when I was backing back out, I drove too close to the side the ditch is on. The mud was very mushy on top of the still frozen ground and the jeep slid sideways down the ditch bank. It slid till mud had built up high on the sides of the tires which stopped me from going right into the ditch, which was full to the brim with rushing water. I had to climb out of the passenger door. I thought little jeep was going to roll right in the drink.

Brad, who never chided me, pulled the jeep a bit with his pick-up but the back end swung around and was in danger of going in. He had to anchor the back end of the jeep to a tractor. I felt very silly but what's life without a few misadventures.

Now for the horror of what was under the snow!

Frozen poopsicles everywhere. What a mess! Poor horses. I noticed Echo had still managed to keep his little sleeping area clean.



Here's a close up of the funny look on his face. Looks like he's having a thinky thought.