The ice storm arrived, as forecast, yesterday afternoon. By dusk (evening chores), a thick layer of slushy ice pellets lay upon the ground, accompanied by continued falling sleet and rain. This morning, the world around us looked very different…and very cold.
Every surface was enveloped in unyielding ice. The cart had to be freed from its ice sheath with a few well-placed blows from a rubber mallet.
A repurposed rabbit tractor, now housing cockerels, also needed the mallet treatment; the accumulation made the lid unmanageably heavy and dangerously slippery. A few whacks and the ice slid off like a liberated floe.
The trees drooped under the oppressive weight of the ice. Branches often break under the strain of the ice load. The pines’ limbs, in particular, were nearly touching the ground. Even small trees were impacted.
Bushes were also draped in ice.
And icicles abounded.
Deer netting covering the old musk melon garden sagged under the ice. It fared better than the aviary netting over the chicken run, which was completely flattened.
And more evidence that the birds had been out and about…right outside the garage door. Hello!
Needless to say, the ice has made normal chores more challenging and improvisation was required more than once (like when I discovered the gate into the waterfowl run was solidly frozen shut by ice buildup). I also nearly did the splits at least once, particularly dangerous when you haven’t warmed up beforehand! 😬
So do farmers let challenges like nature’s whims get them down? Not a chance – we just dress extra warmly, come up with solutions as needed, and try to find the positives (in this case, the ethereal beauty) in the situation. Be well.