I brushed off what snow I could reach and whacked the tarp to get as much ice off as possible. But even after getting a lot of the snow & ice off, it still didn't spring back to it's original shape. I never really considered the hay tunnels having to withstand a snow load. But at least the materials are still usable.
Our area in general was hit pretty hard, although still not as bad as it could have been if freezing rain had replaced the ice pellets. The weight from the sleet/ice/snow have destroyed a lot of the local docks; the entire structures sinking and the roofs collapsing.
A few businesses found their storage sheds had collapsed. Luckily they were closed and there were no employees hurt. And of course there's the jack-knifed semi-trailers on the road and vehicles that had slipped into the ditches. But I don't think there have been any serious injuries. We're still not out of the woods as there is a chance of more snow/sleet/freezing rain tonight and tomorrow and honestly, I'm still waiting for the power to go off.
I spent half the day inside feeding the wood stove, and the other half trudging through the snow to haul warm water to the goats / chickens. But even through all the snow and cold, I had my constant barn chore companion:
Outside Kitty is such a good little boy. He follows me when I pitch out hay, around the barn to feed everyone, inside the milk parlor (hoping for a cup of warm goat milk) and then to bring in more firewood. I haven't managed to make a proper kitty house for him yet, but he does have a box with a blanket and heating pad in it and it seems to be doing an ok job keeping him toasty in this unseasonably cold snap.
I guess the positive side of it is that there are no chiggers now. You got real lucky not to get the freezing rain, they are calling for that here in VA tomorrow morning.
ReplyDeleteAh, the glorious time of year when animal water freezes. Cute photos of the barn kitty. We have a black barn cat that adopted us, and his fur is getting very thick for winter.
ReplyDeleteThe storm tracked south of us, so sorry for those that got hit and from what I hear, more on the way. I like the heating pad idea for the cat. We set up tubbies filled with straw and covered with plywood for them on our porch.
ReplyDeleteWow, you are really experiencing some nasty weather. Glad to hear you've still got power and are managing to stay with (somewhat of a normal) your basic routine. The collapse of buildings and structures can't be helped under the circumstances, but I sure hope no one gets hurt.
ReplyDeleteOutside Kitty should be fine with the snug quarters you've made for him. He's probably crossing his little toes that the power stays on so he doesn't lose his source of heat!
Our snow has stopped but now the temps have plunged down below zero . . . and with a brisk little breeze. Brrrrr!
Saw a few flakes here but all we got is the cold. Since it's Saturday I get to hear about it now all day.
ReplyDeleteI see you are jockeying for a slice of kitty heaven as well :)
I love the picture of Outdoor Kitty in his box. What is it about boxes that fascinate cats? We ended up with about 6" of snow and a low of 3* last night.
ReplyDeleteYa'll stay warm!
Sci
Wow! Outdoor Kitty has it made!!!!! I'm not showing this to my outdoor cat. She would get jealous. lol
ReplyDeleteCarolyn,
ReplyDeleteStay warm and safe. Outdoor Kitty looks content :-)
Were expecting more snow tonight.
What a great feline buddy! Such a trooper, LOL. A faithful helper. I hope he gets lots of kitty treats for his loyalty. :)
ReplyDeleteOutdoor Kitty is AWESOME!!! And what a snug, warm nest you have provided for him. I hope the snow melts soon and you can get back to normal...
ReplyDelete