I Love Snow, but...

[Carol]

I live in Maine because I enjoy the four (or "Five", if you include mud) seasons. That being said, I am so looking forward to the Spring season. This has been a year of patience for me and I'm certainly practicing it now. My arms, legs, stomach and back are wearing out from all the cleaning up after the storms. On the upside, I'm going to be really buff this summer and it hasn't cost me a thing (no gym dues).

To compensate for what I can not yet do outside, I have planted some Sage seeds and they are already sprouting. Just being able to witness that is keeping me full of hope for the growing season to come.

I regulary feed the birds around our home. I mix up a batch of thistle, black oil sunflower seeds, fine cracked corn and white millet. (I recently added safflower seed to the mix because I had some left over from an Imbolc ritual) We have chickadees, cardinals, , blue jays, mourning doves, rose-breasted grosbeaks, Hairy and Downy woodpeckers,nuthatches, juncos and chipping sparrows that come to the feeders every day. I just saw my first red-winged blackbird this morning. I haven't seen them all winter.

We also have been placing food out on a mostly daily basis for the crows in the neighorhood. They are with us all winter and we get forward to seeing them teach the babies how to fend for themselves in the summer. Just a couple of weeks ago I witnessed 3 crows "wrestling" in the back yard. They appeared to be having so much fun rolling around in the snow. And we recently noticed that a pair of ravens have been stopping by. We put out old moldy bread and expired cereal for them. And the crows/ravens make quick order of a chicken or turkey carcass. I even put out a ham bone for them the other day. It has completely disappeared. It keeps our garbage down as well.

So here I sit watching the snow as it gently falls thinking about everything that the Goddess has blessed us with. I guess I really do love the snow after all.

[Jane Raeburn]

This year I confess I have enjoyed the snow because I am working at home and I can just watch it pile up without thinking about where I have to go!

[mike]

This is first year that the cafe is closed, so I too have been able to sit in and watch the snow grow. I wish I got as many different birds as you Carol. I even went out and got a bird feeder and seed just fro Cardinals, because I saw one one day at my feeder, and I yet to see him again. I do have four ducks that sit outside my window abd the past three days a male mallard has been hanging out with them. He flys away at night, but returns each, so far, to partake of the seed I give the ducks.

[Gail S.]

Enough of the snow already! I knew we were in trouble when we had a white Yule.

I told my husband that if I was going to shovel snow it would be from florida. He said, "That's funny Gail." But he never smiles when he says that. Such a sense of humor that guy!

Well the other day, I took pity on him and broke that rule. While he was at work I actually went out and shoveled the back walkway directly behind our house where we watch all the critters and avian events through our large picture window. We have lots of birds too--doves, nuthatches-red and white, chickadees, gold finches, titmouse, doves, etc.
However, before I started the shoveling detail I set an intention that my back would be strong, and I would be perfectly ok afterward. Usually doing this kind of physical labor really kills my lower back. Even vacuuming I am hurting for two days after!

This snow was very wet and heavy! So I took my time, using my legs and arms to lift all that partly cloudy onto the grain scoop shovel--Hubby had taken the real snow shovel with him to work--and then i had to pitch it over the five foot high banks. I even worked up a bead of perspiration and took off my coat after awhile!

It took me about an hour or so, and that night I was perfectly fine, not even my arms or legs ached. I love it when I set intentions and they work! And why shouldn't they after all, if you don't believe in them, then whey set them, eh?

We have a new addition hanging around under our bird feeder at night. A possum. Or Opossum. Is there a difference?
Spelling, I guess.

I took pity on it running around in the snow with it's little bare-feet and all--it looks like a House Elf--(I dubbed it "Dobby")... so I put out a plate with cut up apple and dog food on it--which I had been feeding my 3 crows--why do they always travel in threes--and Dobby really loves the smorgasbord, and now comes nightly looking for it's dinner.

Now what did I do with that old sock...

[Aracos mac Domhnaill]

Hey, them's is good eatin'!

[stacy]

Now that's what I call looking at the bright side of things!! lol The snow has been beautiful this year. I am ready for spring in a major way. I find that planting herbs inside is a nice reminder of times to come. I have better luck with herbs as the years go by, I had a pretty decent fairy garden filled with herbs in my back yard but it has been a lot of trial and error. This past fall I was able to maintain an indoor herb garden but had to put it outside because of fruit flies??? this was the first time I experienced this problem. My thyme especially was a pleasant little home for them. I hated to get rid of them but I became a bit icked out by the fruit flies. Have any of you had a similar problem? I am hoping to have a balcony garden this year. I have little sun in my back yard and my new neighbors gave me ample warning that my gardens wouldn't fare well this summer because there daughter likes to pull the flowers up? I must admit I had thoughts of "What ever happened to telling your children NO!" But I have come to realize living in an apartment building leads to a sad little garden!! So this year I will give up the good fight and try one on my balcony. Do you garden outside at all in the summer?
Stacy <-----sighhhh ahhhh longs for many beautiful gardens in her yard but fairs ok with a planter on her balcony

[Kat]

I played in the snow today, since it was so bright and lovely. I love my snowshoes :)

[Sharon Emery]

I work at home, so I've enjoyed it too.

That was until we almost ran out of oil and no one would deliver to us.! We have a 750 foot driveway, and it got too narrow for the oil trucks to drive down it. Our plowman was able to widen it just a squeek, just enough for a truck to get through. If we'd have gotten any more snow, we would have been looking at heavy equipment to widen it. Thank goodness we finally got a little melt!

We burn mostly wood, but need the oil for backup and hot water. I really love the woodstove in the winter when it's snowing out...soooo homey and soothing.

-Sharon

[Jane Raeburn]

Wow, that must have been scary! This year we have the best plow guy ever -- a retired guy who lives next door and doesn't have enough to do. All winter long he has not only kept the driveway clear, but also kept enough room for guests to park! He even comes back with the snowblower and squares off his corners if he thinks he hasn't done a good enough job.

[Jane Raeburn]

You know, it's only Jan. 15 and I am really ready to be done with winter!

[JWL]

After last winter, I was really dreading this winter. Last year was also our first as homeowners, so it was the first time I'd really dealt with a Maine Wintah in terms of snow removal/shoveling, etc. And, if you're gonna pick a year to deal with a snow removal in Maine for the first time, last year wasn't the one to pick....

Anyway, rather than continue dreading, I tried a little cognitive metaprogramming with the mantra "may Winter and I treat each other well." So far so good..... :-D

[Suzi]

my gods! me too! First the arctic cold...now the snowstorm. It looks pretty, but it's a pain!

[Leif Weaver]

I am from the North Country myself, so as long as it is not -30°F and 80+ inches of snow, I feel like I am living on the Riviera. We just got enough snow to do some real X-country skiing, and I have a month to prune my apple trees and then it is time for sugaring and boom, winter is over.

But the thing that really makes it work for me is my sauna. I don't know why every Mainer doesn't have one.