The clipper system moving across the U.S. earlier this week didn’t bring us our first snow of the year, but it did bring us our first significant accumulation. The kind of snowfall where you stay home, because if you drive down the mountain, the odds of getting back up are slim.
But we knew it was coming, so we canceled plans and stayed home. We carried extra firewood in ahead of time and charged our headlamps and lanterns in case of a power outage. My wife ran the dishwasher and a load of laundry for the same reason. I was confident the generator works because I used it less than six weeks ago. So we felt set. It’s just snow, not a disaster.
At times, we were in white-out conditions because of the ever-present high winds. It blows the snow around, often in a straight line but sometimes swirling. When you are out in it, the wind makes the snow pelt against your face. I usually wear at least sunglasses, sometimes even ski goggles.
I like the snow because footprints show up on it. I can check the local game trails and see what is walking around out there. Is it just deer, or will I see coyote tracks or even a bobcat? Once the snow ended and the sun came back out, I saw lots of tiny tracks of scurrying creatures and even birds.
The dog enjoys the snow. The chickens don’t. The dog likes to scamper around and stick her nose into it. The chickens don’t like to step on the cold snow. When I went out to feed them, 19 out of 20 birds were in their coop. I don’t know if the one hen outside is brave or stupid. I knocked the ice out of their waterer and gave them fresh water. They have to leave the cop to drink.
Snow Means Increased Isolation
I also like the snow because it keeps people out. You could probably get up the mountain in a four wheeler or a tricked out jeep with large, soft tires, but we’d hear you coming. The average all-wheel drive car won’t make it, especially when the snow is wet and slippery. Such snow quickly compresses to ice, and if your car slides four feet in the wrong direction, you are off the side of the road, bumping down the mountain backwards or sideways, hoping you hit a tree that will stop you before you end up in the creek.
I know of two people who slid off the road, and one ended up upside down, totaling his car. So it’s a real concern.
Some drivers slide into the ditch and get stuck even when there is no snow, requiring a tow truck to lift them out or the neighbor with his tractor to tow them out. Most of these stuck folks are people we call “looky-loos,” tourists who drive around the back roads “exploring.” Let me tell you, a front-wheel drive vehicle is not a good choice for exploring narrow dirt roads that go up a steep mountain. When your wheels spin and you can’t go forward, consider it a sign you should back out the way you came.
I hope the long-term weather forecasts are correct and we have a snowy winter.
Homestead Life
It’s a quiet time of year on the homestead. Too soon to start plants indoors, but not too soon to make plans for next year’s gardens. Still, perusing seed catalogs and planning only takes so many hours.
Besides the animals, firewood is our only recurring outdoor chore. I received another delivery to replace the wood we burnt so far, and we started stacking it before the snow hit. If all goes as planned, I will burn this latest wood next October and November. If we have an extra cold winter, I might be burning it in April or May.
I tracked down and fixed a short on the electric fence. I was worried I would have to replace the battery again, but it recharged just fine. Who knew things like an extra battery for your electric fence should be on your prepping equipment list? That’s one of those lessons we learn by living on our prepper property.
I also did some weed whacking, knocking down the brown, dried stems of Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed and other late-fall weeds that provide the bees with valuable resources as we head into fall. I am a little late this year, but we wanted to ensure they all went to seed so we would have more next year. I ended up with a sore back; guess I am out of practice with the weed whacker.
We’ve been getting quotes for some grading work we want done, including a French drain and new ditching to better control water running off the mountain behind the house. The cost of a man on an excavator is crazy-high. I am amazed anyone can afford to have anything build these days. Owning a homestead can be expensive, even when you spread the costs out over years.
