Snow - Day 5: Shoveling

The City of Atlanta is not prepared for a snow storm like the one that began last Sunday night and continued all day on Monday - and neither am !

Clearing the driveway -- or at least attempting to -- started with a rake, hacking through the ice layer on top of the snow. Then a broom and a shovel. Then pails of hot water. Ice chunks loosened on top "floated" down the ice sheet to the bottom of the driveway, into the gutter, where they eventually melted. I got the job done 2/3 of the way. Today's 40F should make clearing the rest easier. I want salmon and potatoes with dill for dinner tonight. The supermarket is two miles away . . . :-)



The Frozen South

On the fourth day after the snow and ice storm, almost everything remains covered in snow with a glistening layer of ice on top. On Wednesday, the temperature got above freezing (for about an hour) for the first time since Sunday. The dry, cold air has shrunk the snow cover somewhat, but what looked exciting on Monday is now little more than a nuisance.

Birds in Snow

This Viburnum has never been more popular.

Mourning Doves in a Pine Tree . . . .

Ornamental grasses make a good perch and feeding opportunity.

I'm glad I stocked up on bird seed, but twenty-five pounds may not have been enough! The fat Cardinals intimidate the smaller birds.

Do they want to come inside?

Snow, again!

Where's my driveway . . .?

All covered up!

Birds in Butterfly Bush.

Tea this afternoon?

Where are the Pansies and the Violas?

Snow on Christmas

I am so glad I left lots of plants "a mess" this fall, including this Solidago that has made friends with a Rosemary and contributed to excellent shelter for small birds that visit the feeders in my garden and then find a place to hide for a while.

The Holly looks as lovely in the snow today as it did two days ago in sunshine.

The Nandina was sheltered from the snow by shrubs and a pine tree.

The Pyracantha, by contrast, bore the full brunt of the storm.

The Sun Rises After The Snow

Just as the sun was rising this morning, the cardinals (here are three of them in a Viburnum) and other birds came looking for food. The sun caught the bent grass in one of the containers on my patio and then targeted its rays on a Crape Myrtle. It is still very cold (23F, -5C).

No Tea and Brioche Today

Yesterday afternoon, in the middle of the snow storm, there was no indication of a plant in the Chinese pot on my bistro table (there is one, a Viola, under several inches of snow). This morning, as the sun was rising, the snow was beginning to glisten and invite another picture. Not, however, an invitation for tea and brioche (or my neighbor Catherine's favorite: tea and scones). It will take a few more months.

Snow in North Georgia

The snow yesterday was magical and unexpected. The forecast had been for snow "mainly below I-20" with just a little (one to two inches at most) expected in some areas north of Atlanta. And what did we get? Four inches at least. It was spectacular.

In my garden, I photographed, from top to bottom: Sedum, Viburnum, Hydrangea, Crape Myrtle, Pyracantha, and Fothergilla.

Birds in Snow

This picture was taken about 90 minutes after it started snowing this afternoon. There were at least a dozen cardinals in my garden when I opened the door to the patio. They all flew away, but these little guys -- I have no idea what they are -- stayed put to have their picture taken. The landscape is beautiful.

Snow on Holly

This is an appropriate picture for the first of March, even in Georgia; at some time during winter, hollies ought to be touched by snow. This year, we are lucky.

Snow on Rosemary

Jut a few weeks ago (see Feb 10 post), all the rosemary in my garden looked gorgeous, with lots of blue/lavender blooms. Today, they are all covered in snow. This one surrounds a pine tree. Or, more accurately, a pine tree seedling planted itself in the center of a rosemary a few years ago. I'm keeping both.

Snow

Snow, I have to confess, is not something for which I harbor envy of our neighbors to the north. But every so often - especially when it hasn't been around in years and comes down in big, fat, juicy flakes - one cannot help but admire it. Today is such a day.