Where’s The Off Switch?
It’s finally stopped snowing here. For now, at least. Which of course means that it’s time for the temperatures to plummet back again well below zero. That means that Jack Frost was back, painting my window again, with a delicate pattern of ice ferns.
Using Michael (once again) as my measuring gauge, I snapped this shot so you can compare it to the photo in my the last entry. As he finished digging out the driveway, Michael told me, “We have to put this weather on a diet!”
I’ll second that.
We’ve had significant snowfalls some years as late as May, however, so we’re not counting on this winter ending any time soon.
Since mid-January, Michael’s been refilling feeders every week, although in past winters we’ve never had to put out seed more than once or twice a month. The snow is so deep that he’s kept a pathway shoveled out to the feeders. After this latest snowfall, he gave up on shoveling and instead fired up our little electric snow-broom to clear it out.
Stewart the Bunny is doing fine, even with the deep snow. He views it as his nightly duty to vacuum up all the seed that’s been spilled during the day from the feeders. He has kept himself safe by snuggling into the warmest, most protected place in “his” yard he can find. Lately, that’s been a little snow cave dug out underneath a drift that the weather and wind created next to our back door. I never would have discovered his hidey hole if he hadn’t left such a perfect set of paw prints that led to the spot!
19 Feb 2008 JAS
Aww - those paw prints are too adorable. Bunnies would never survive in our yard - winter or not. Cats, coyotes, foxes - in the 18+ years we’ve lived in our house we’ve only seen a bunny once, just this past summer.
But my god you have alot of snow there Judy!!!
Kris, I saw those paw prints and knew you had to see them, too!
Michael sees Stewart several times a week, and has come close to stepping on him several times, as Stewart uses the shoveled paths and sidewalks instead of the lawn. It makes sense, as the snow is so deep over the yards here that Stewart sinks quite a bit into it when he hops - not a safe thing for a bunny who needs to rely on speed for safety!
Maybe you could make Stewart some little bunny snow shoes.
Hey - great idea, Dan! I’ll ‘hop’ to it, right after I finish knitting Stewart his little scarf and mittens!