Beautiful Blizzard

We are still kind of recovering from last Thursday’s blizzard.  It was the prettiest blizzard I can remember (but   I didn’t have to go anywhere, so I could enjoy it.)  We were fortunate - no loss of power, heat or water here,  but we have been enduring a fewfirst world problems-- lack of internet connection for four days, lots of heavy snow to move and an unwilling snowblower.
Above is the barn a couple hours into the storm, when I went out to do evening chores.

Soon after I went back out to take photos and check on the animals, but could not find the cows. Following their trail in the snow I found them in the far corner of the lower pasture. Who knows what possessed them to go exploring in a blizzard? They seemed worn out from plowing through the deep, sticky snow. (This snow was far from fluffy!) Jitter simply did not want to go another step.

LaFonda had blazed the trail and was further down the hill where the snow was deepest, up to her belly. I was worried the longer they stayed out here the more difficult it would be for them to make it back through the ever deepening snow.
The challenge of herding cows through deep sticky snow. (Harder than you might think - pardon the heavy breathing!)

Zinnie was surprisingly helpful herding the cows back to the barn.

Dusk - so pretty, but the trees  beginning to sag with snow. Rog  giving up from his first unsuccessful bout with the snowblower.

 Good time for a break for supper.

The view coming back out a couple hours later.

Broken branches by the truck.

Snow-covered boughs on the silver maples trees touching the ground.

This is the same view of the barn as the first photo on this post! It is amazing we did not lose power for more than a few flickers with the sagging branches looming threateningly over the sagging wires.

When I checked on the cows (curled up inside the loafing shed)  I started hearing branches snapping and decided it might be a good time to be inside.

And that is precisely when the wind  began blowing fiercely for the rest of the night. We hoped it would blow the snow off those poor trees.

The view out the dining room  window Friday morning. Lots of branches down on the row of ash trees.

 The butterfly and bee garden.

The little garden shed.

Thankfully, the wind did blow much of the snow off the trees, lightening their loads, but it is still so lovely.

The veggie garden. Will we ever get to play in the dirt?

 And still battling the snowblower.