snow scenes

Perhaps you've already seen photos of the East Coast's recent snow storm plastered across all your various social media platforms. And perhaps you're kinda sick of it - like, 'ok how many pictures of snow can I look at before they all look the same?!?'

But... Well. Oh well, here are some more. Because our entire world is snow right now so it's kinda dominating our landscape. Naturally lol.

First things first tho - all critters two- and four-legged and all vehicles and all homes made it through the storm more or less unscathed. In fact, it's entirely possible that I'm the only one of my little menagerie that cares.... Isabel is clearly indifferent, so long as there's hay haha.

Work let out early on Friday in anticipation of the storm, so I hightailed it over to the barn to make sure all my ducks were in a row - including making sure Isabel had enough supplements to get her though a few days, and zipping all the plexi panels back onto my trailer.

You may recall I took the rear panels off the trailer this past spring to improve ventilation in warmer temperatures. We've also discovered over the course of the season that the zip ties used to hold the panels on have about a 6-12 month lifespan, despite being advertised as 'exterior' zip ties. I guess they just get old and brittle after so much exposure to the elements?

Since some had started breaking over the past few months, I opted to replace the zips on every panel, also as a means to make sure every little nook and cranny was as sealed up as possible before the storm. Coincidentally - this also marked the first of what would be many moments of gratitude that my leg is officially deemed healed now... Balancing on that little step stool was definitely *not* a thing I would have been able to do comfortably a couple weeks ago...

Anyway I also pulled a tarp over the trailer door where there's a significant amount of open space. The idea was to prevent snow drifts inside... but I'm really not super optimistic that there wasn't any accumulation... We will see eventually I guess, bc for now the trailer isn't super accessible haha. 

I actually left my normal daily driver car parked right up in front of the trailer, with the idea that once the car is dug out, the trailer will be automatically dug out as well. But damn, that is a LOT of snow... I have *no clue* how I'm ever going to get to the trailer any time soon, unless the BM takes pity on me and helps dig it out with the tractor.... Fingers crossed bc that clinic we signed up for this coming weekend is looking ........ a lot less likely now. Wah. 

Really tho, the 36-hour storm has mostly proven to be a bit of a vacation. Just sitting at home with the kitties staying warm and catching up on various youtube videos haha. While occasionally peeking out the window to see what world of shoveling pain I'd soon be in...

Because even trying to stay ahead of the storm by periodically clearing out the snow from around my truck proved futile. Every couple hours I'd come down and clear the same freaking section and it'd be completely indistinguishable from the rest by the next time I came down... annoying. 

At least I wasn't alone tho. Pretty much all the neighbors were out and about on Sunday after the storm cleared to dig out. But jesus, just LOOK at all that snow! Sure, it might not seem like an awful lot to those of you who live further north or in areas of greater snowfall... but this is a LOT for humble little Baltimore, with our limited snow removal resources and experience...

Finally, tho, the truck was dug out and I was free to move about the cabin, so to speak. 

And actually I was pretty impressed with how the city handled the snow, as evidenced by these perfectly cleared sidewalks I had the pleasure of using on my little 1.5mile jaunt to the next neighborhood over, bc everything closer to me was closed but a girl's gotta watch her football, right? #priorities

Because let's be honest - there are only so many hours you can spend with your cats before you start to wonder if they'd consider eating you if they were only a little bigger... OG looks for all the world here like he would try a nibble lol...

Most of the main roads are already in pretty good shape too. Sure, there's snow errywhere and the lane dividers are more like a suggestion rather than the rule... But actually getting out to the barn (which itself is on a somewhat main road) was pretty easy. 

It's just crazy tho - there is SO MUCH snow everywhere - just look at these massive piles in font of the houses!!!

The barn fared well through the storm too - never lost power and all the horses are happy and comfortable. Another boarder even came out with their snow blower to clear paths to the fields! 

Not bad, right?!? Tho our school horse herd was slightly inaccessible for a couple days, tho thankfully the horses had plenty of hay and water and didn't seem to mind the seclusion...

I like to think Izzy was happy to see me tho ;)

She came right up to say hi (even tho i didn't even have any treats for her!) and hung out quietly while I picked out the gnarly knots that had already appeared in her mane... poor thing gets left alone for two days and already looks like an orphan... lol.

"seriously tho, emma, where are the treats?" - isabel

Even the cats are doing just fine haha. Really tho there is a TON of work to be done in clearing paths and keeping the barn clean and what not (especially since our manure pit is currently inaccessible ugh). So I really only just visited with Isabel briefly before getting to work on all those stalls.... Maybe I'll be able to hop on for a little ride tomorrow tho? We shall see!

Did you get hit by the storm? How did you make out? Does your barn have any neat tricks for snow management and removal?