The "Big Dig", Sunday, January 23, 2011

After the snow and high winds of the weekend, I wandered outside to find the road drifted.

 Oddly enough, spots right in front of the house had blown nearly bare, while other places were drifted solid.  

In the bright sunshine, crystals of snow appeared as if glittering diamonds, sprinkled on the snow.

 Wind and mother nature created odd sculptures with the snow.

This shot reminds me of a sandy beach that has been caressed by waves.

Even though we were snowed in, I found beauty in the sculpted, almost manicured snow drifts.

In this shot, you can see the snow catchers that Jim has plowed in the fields.  Snow blows across their tops.

The ridge running down the center of the shot is our southern most shoulder of our road, on the east-west stretch.  It looks like the plow will have no trouble opening it up.

Grains of snow blow about, driven by winds.

More of Mother Nature's artwork.

The snow appears smooth and sculpted.

In anticipation, we had chained up the plow.

Jim, plowing a snow catcher out in the field, along the north south stretch of road.    There is a"helluvalotta" snow out there!

A view of the snow catcher, looking behind the plow.  We spent some time here, me ferrying tools and Jim working feverishly to start the plow.  This was NOT the place to be "dead in the water."

The dreaded north-south stretch of road.  Here, Jim blasts a hole through the heavy drifts.

Many others have it even worse, with livestock to feed.  We are fortunate.

While driving along behind the plow, I spotted these grouse, holding tight on the ditch bank (soon to be our only road in and out until spring).

This bird , reluctant to expend energy in flight, allows me to get even closer.

 When I traveled south, they turned and went north.

 With a hole blown open down the middle of the road, Jim begins the arduous process of widening the road.

I keep telling myself that it will be a lush, green spring!

The grouse decided that we had disturbed them enough and moved into the relative safety of a tree top.

Jim attempts to push a large drift but soon decides that we'd best get my car out, or it would be impossible to do so.  From here on out, it's 4x4 travel only.

The forecast was calling for high winds.  The edges of the road grow higher and higher as the snow is pushed up farther and farther. 

In spite of the difficulty winter has brought, I can still see the beauty it brings.

Thought for the day:  We must pay a price to live in the country.