more winter pics

From last week's ice storm: (Broken off the hen house; left a good 2" in the chicken wire next to the roof)

17" icicle

The dogs weren't too crazy about the ice last week. Buster enjoyed running and sliding some, but Little Dog stayed in the insulated dog house most of the time. The snow was a different story, however. Both dogs played and played and played. The funniest part was when I threw a stick, and Buster actually got a mouth full of snow picking it up. He had the strangest look on his face, chomped his jaws a few times, bent down to pick up the stick, dropped it, and repeated the above process. 

What? You're going inside? Already? I've still got three more sticks and two tennis balls!

Once the chickens realized the snow wasn't the same as ice, they headed out. I don't know why, but their prints always make me laugh.

And amidst the melting snow, flowers are coming up.
(The small ones in the middle are bulbs I planted this fall from a friend).

and the newest shoots coming up, also from the fall bulb

and one of my two lavender plants is still living!
Planted these down by the pond where the dogs hang out. I've read they're supposed to repel ticks.

 The drain to the pond has been either temporarily stopped or totally stopped since the beginning of January. (We've occasionally had a trickle going through.) With all the rain we've had this year, the pond has consistently stayed at a high level - high enough the spillway has seen a fair amount of action, which seldom happens. Above is the duck house. For those who've never been here, there's a walkway on the left and a small boardwalk on the right, as well as a platform in front and behind...all under water.

 And the water is now to the bottom of the pier. At one point when the pipe was totally stopped, it rose even with the floor of the pier. A neighbor was has been regularly working on it and was able to get a trickle streaming through again. With that and the spillway, it helped bring the level back down.

 I know everyone keeps saying this is the coldest winter NC has had in a long time, but this is the first year the pond has not froze off an on all winter. Last week was the first time it started freezing. I love this pic cause it shows the layering of the ice (not sure if that's from the wind blowing or the depth of the ice).

 This shot is close to the edge. It's quite thick here (at least two inches), but you can see the water underneath and where the water is beginning to crack the ice underneath.

 Cracks further out in the pond.

 I made this picture larger. See that pole out in the pond? That used to be a foot or two from the edge (about calf deep).  Not anymore! There also used to be a small island and a creek that are now flooded.

And the view facing the dam. Those white spots are the geese on top of the dam eating the corn I put out.

It was so nice out this afternoon and almost all the snow is melted. It's hard to believe they say more snow/ice is coming tonight.