Thursday, January 7, 2016

Icicles and snow shelves

With our wintry weather ranging from dips to 0F to highs of 35F, we have icicles galore.

A red-shafted flicker.



Sunset.



Sunrise.





Mid-day.


Growing together.



Yesterday the temp rose above freezing and the snow loads started sliding down the metal roof, making us wonder -- how long before these shelves of snow and icicles snap off?






This morning I saw this curl of snow from the back side of the barn, dangling ominously.


It was like this the whole length of the barn.


Here it is, coming off the chicken coop roof.


Sure enough, the snow shelf on the barn finally dumped, blocking a door open...


...which I had to dig out.


Usually an enormous load would suddenly whoosh off the roof with a rumble like thunder, setting Lydia barking furiously and leaving us with mounds of snow to pick our way over and create new paths. Here it buried the water tank and faucet...


...and blocked a walk-through gate.


Don used the tractor to remove the mounds of snow that slid off the roof in front of the door.


Oh well. It makes life interesting.

12 comments:

  1. Winter wonderland, beautiful. As long as you keep it in Idaho.

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  2. The snow on the roof of our house in Wyoming would pile up and when it began to move down the slope it would sound as though a giant was walking in the woods outside: boom, boom, boom. It would hang down in dangerously thick and long sheets, something I forgot two days ago as I came out of the two story barn. My neck took the brunt of it.
    It wasn't as bad as the time I was buried to my waist in snow that came off our garage. I was thankful my son was there as I had to be dug out.
    We, too, have enjoyed a flicker that has been busy finding overwintering bugs in the roof of our porch (which has the gables directed south and the steps on the east, lol). We didn't build it and if we replace it things will be oriented differently.
    Sidetracksusie

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  3. For a nano second there I thought those photos were of my house here in N. Idaho with the same curly shelves of snow and ice. I tried to break some off but no can do, at first the little snow we had turned to ice, then came the big snow that stuck to the ice so it becomes unbreakable. We just have to wait.

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  4. And now you know why Florida was invented.

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    Replies
    1. And that's why I live in Florida!! ;-)

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    2. I was retired in Florida. After 9 years of 1 season, I moved back north.

      Yes, Florida was invented for retiring. But Idaho was invented for living. I prefer the latter.

      An aside: It sounds funny but honestly, my retired friends back in Florida spend more time looking at my weather than theirs. It's true. Why? I never feel inclined to check Florida's weather. I could never figure that out?
      Montana Guy

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  5. Wow! Living in South Central Georgia I can't imagine looking out my window and seeing that! Stay warm ~Cricket

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  6. We have some of that going on here, until the next "Polar Vortex" hits-later tonight or early tomorrow. Brrrr Natokadn

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  7. Glad to see you are still doing well Patrice. Gonna have to get up to your neck of Idaho one of these days. We're loving it here in southern Idaho. Kids are all doing very well too. Say hi to Don for me. Take care! - OrangeJeepDad

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  8. This coming summer, you might want to reset that barn gate to swing inside so you can avoid that snow dump problem. Constantly digging it out could waste a lot of valuable time in future.

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  9. The icicles are beautiful.
    rsrue.blogspot.com
    scoopfromahandicapper.blogspot.com

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