A Snow Situation...

Here it is Monday and there is still snow! I'm not talking about the remnants from snow that has come and is now on the way out, I'm talking about snow that comes, doesn't melt and more comes in on top of it! I've never lived in that kind of snow!! The wet air came in and was not strong enough to move out the cold gore air blasting from the east so the Portland/Vancouver area got more snow! Saturday started with about 2 inches with an ice crust on top. Phoenix was surprised when she went charging out the door after breakfast and the ice went "crack" and then she went "thump" as it broke and her feet sunk in after each step. I have a list of things I wanted to do before the snow melted and building a snow man was one of them. Well, I settled for a snow Muppet. The picture doesn't do him justice. He has a red pepper beak, rosemary feather tufts and rose hips for eyes. Quite the character! Here he is again Sunday morning, he gained a few pounds over night! We got another good 4 inches over night! Then more came down again today. Russ kindly took me out to the barn again Saturday and today. Saturday I was determined to take Warren for a ride. The arena footing wasn't too frozen so after a good warm up, we rode for quite awhile. Russ did some shopping while I got in some good quality barn time. After spending all day cooped up Sunday, we were both a little stir crazy on Monday. Both of our offices were closed while the cities were figuring out how to deal with all the snow on the roads. That meant Russ and I could head off for an adventure. Of course we ended up at the barn again. And there was even more snow! I let Warren out in one of the pastures to romp, he seemed a little bewildered as to what to do, there was no grass to munch and he is not much of a frolicker. He settled for licking snow!

Critters in the cold

Warren is happy as can be in the cold weather. I put a heavier blanket on him after fighting a frozen lock and a frozen horse trailer door earlier this week. (And to Mom and Anna, I haven't changed one bit, if I can get out to the barn, you can bet that I will ride in the rain/sleet or snow, with out even thinking!, but out here we have covered arenas so it is not as much of an issue) So yes, I took Warren out for a ride on Tuesday with temperatures in the teens. I bundled up in my awesome warm and toasty fridgaware suit and got him tacked up and warm. When it was time to get in the saddle, I reluctantly peeled off my suit to my fleece lined riding clothes underneath. I rode for about 20 minuets until I started not being able to feel my fingers and toes. As long as you stay moving, the cold isn't too bad, but when you stop you cool off pretty quick. Warren was very content to be plunking around the arena, but I wanted to keep the feeling in my fingers (it is really hard to untack a horse with numb fingers!) so I called it a night and got back into my warm fridgeaware suit. Thursday Russ took me out to the barn and we were greeted with a happy looking fuzzy Belgian standing in the snow with practically a grin on his face.

The hens are another story. They have a nice warm box to get huddled in at night that has been keeping them pretty comfortable when the temperatures are super low. But they are not big fans on putting their feet down in the white cold stuff. They'll scratch for a little while then they'll go perch on anything they can find to keep their feet dry. (Thankfully everyone is done molting and all the feathers are back in place!)

Max loves the snow! He is like a little kid; he can't wait for us to go outside to play with him. He loves catching snow balls, eating snow, rolling in it, anything to play in the snow. Phoenix is a little more mellow about it all. She goes out to play a little bit and is quick to come back in to sit by the window and watch the winter wonderland from inside where it is warm.

It is all about timing

The way I figure it, meteorologists watch two big weather conditions this time of year; the masses of cold air and the masses of wet air. When the 2 hit, it often times generates white stuff falling from the heavens and with it panic and school closures in the Portland/Vancouver area. Most of the time that white flaky freefall doesn't happen. Typically, the wet brings with it warm air and so this area gets the characteristic 40 degree and rainy winters.

This week has been a different story. The cold dry air dipped down from the north significantly, giving Vancouver highs in the low 20's and lows down into low teens with clear skies.

Then Wednesday the wet air rolled in from the south and west bringing bringing with it some not warm enough temperatures to break the freezing temperatures. resulting in, you got it, snow! Actually, Portland got more than SW Washington because of the way the wet air moved in, but even a minuscule amount of snow and freezing temperatures triggers the Southerner in me. I stock up and bury myself in for the duration. To my Alaskan raised husband, it is just another day, so driving to work was not even a question for him. Me on the other hand, I decided not to go anywhere if I had to drive. However, I still had Christmas shopping to do... But ah ha! We live very close to the bus line. I bundled up and caught a bus to the mall. I got all my shopping done and Russ even picked me up! What a guy! Thursday was looking more promising, the temperatures had risen above the freezing mark. I hopped in my truck Thursday morning and got half way to work to find out there are lots of micro climates with all sorts of variable weather! I hit snow and lots of it. I turned the truck around and puttered home with white knuckles. I did stop by the store to pick up some baking and Christmas wrapping essentials. When Russ got home, he very kindly took me out to see Warren, who is happy as can be standing out in the snow watching the flakes fall.

It is now Friday morning and we again woke up to snow and border line freezing temperatures. There is about an inch on the ground now. Schools have been closed for 3 days making an extra long holiday break for the students. The cold air isn't letting up over the northwest and there is a huge mass of wet air predicted to move in from the coast by Saturday bringing even heavier snow. Russ put snow tires on his truck, he'll pick up more milk and bread on the way home and I'm hunkern down at the house with the doggies for the "Arctic Blast!"

Plug it in

We've been getting pretty chilly the last few days. "Arctic Blast" is what the media has dubbed this fine bout of weather conditions. Bitter cold works for me. Low teens at night and maybe reaching mid 20s by day. BRRR! Ferguson, my dern good 4x4 Dodge powered with the mighty Cummins Diesel has even been grumbling about being started on these bitter cold mornings. Russ recalled seeing a plug in the engine compartment, so he suggested we plug it in over night. HAH! I never thought I'd live in a place where I'd need something like that. However, it has made Fergie a very happy truck. Ya see, that plug is connected to a little heater in the engine block. The heater keeps the water warm in the block and the engine starts much easier in the morning. Not that I am likely to be going anywhere if the weather does waht they are saying it is going to do, but Russ might end up driving it too...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

ARCTIC BLAST! WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY, STORM WATCH, SNOW ALERT..... The Portland news gets pretty excited when there is a possibility for treacherous cold weather. Be sure you take care of your pets, protect your faucets, don't drive anywhere if you have to.... The weather forecasters kept predicting the possibility for snow this weekend. As we went into Saturday night with temperatures hovering around 36 degrees we were feeling pretty sceptical. The weather shifted around last night and we woke up to a light covering of snow this morning and the temperatures have been falling ever since. We have been having on and off snow showers and lots of wind. The mountains are counting their snow covering in feet now, which makes the skiers happy. Russ and I took Max on a short run to the Ace Hardware down the street for a Christmas tree stand. The phones were ringing off the hook with questions on faucet insulators, they were all sold out at 9:30! We came home and I have been decorating all morning! It is easy to get in the Christmas spirit with the snow blowing around outside.

Molting Chickens

Russ was quite alarmed to discover feathers all over the pen and two white birds, Hazel and Scratch with no tail feathers one afternoon in October. He thought there was something seriously wrong with the ladies, as they had been attacked or severely frightened. It turns out, this is a normal thing for hens. It is not that different than a hairy animal shedding it's coat. The process just looks rather disconcerting on a chicken as they tend to have bald patches and exposed feather shafts. Molting is quite a natural and regular process for a bird. However, since they are spending all that energy to molt, the egg production ceases to exist. I broke down and bought eggs at the grocery store the other day; they don't taste the same at all!

Ice Caves at Mount Adams

The weather has brought us a welcome break of cool sunshiny days, quite a contrast from the dark, rainy winter weather that seemed to have settled in since late October. Russ and I decided to take advantage of the nice day and make an adventure east up past Trout Lake, Washington and into the Mount Adams wilderness. Our destination: The Ice Caves. There is an ancient lava tube that had a tendency to hold cold air in the winter time and keep the caves at freezing temperatures all summer. The ground water leaking through the ceiling and floors makes some amazing ice sculptures in the cold air. So we packed up some warm gear, flashlights, and Max (Phoenix is still recovering from a leg injury and has been given the huge responsibility of guarding the sofa - it is an important job to make sure it doesn't leave the house!) and set out on our journey to the caves. Of course a trip east means a venture through the Columbia Gorge, and over to the "east side" where the air is drier and the landscape is noticeably different.

Trout Lake is a small mountain community that is peaceful and quite. I have spent sometime in the area working with the dairy farmers who live there, so I am already familiar with it's slow easy going pace. Russ found the atmosphere just as appealing. Once we left town and headed off onto forest roads, we found the wilderness to be just as peaceful and serene. Upon arrival at the caves, we equipped ourselves with lights and headed into the cave.

At the end of our decent of the stairs into the abyss, we were greeted with large boulders to climb over and then amazingly icy floors. The air was quite cold and damp for being "the drier side" of Washington. Russ has a wonderful assortment of lights from flooding beams to spotlights that would illuminate different aspects of the cave and the ice. Since it was the end of fall and the cold air in the cave had not been re established from the winter, yet, the ice formations were not all that spectacular, but there were a few beautiful and interesting structures to observe while in the dark.

After navigating over large boulders for a little while, and evaluating and comparing beams of various flashlight from the small collection Russ brought with him, we re surfaced into the light again. We were greeted by a family who missed the group they were to connect with for a tour of the caves. The elementary school - aged daughter was looking a little bummed that she was not going to be able to see the caves as she had no flashlight, and her parents were not too keen on making the excursion on their own. However, they were in luck, Russ and I were able to help in that department! We took the family back down in the cave and while the parents stood timidly at the foot of the steps with Russ, the gal and I went back into the caves to explore. We were not able to help them find their group, but we were able to assist in sharing with on our excursion.


Our next stop was to the natural bridges, just up the road. This was another ancient lava tube that had formed but collapsed, leaving some solid places and some deep gullies. The solid places made bridge structures over the gullies. It is a pretty neat phenomenon.