For several days the garden was tucked under a soft fluffy blanket of snow. It was beautiful and great for the plants. Then the temperature went up like an express elevator, the kind that leaves your stomach in the basement! Just the change in temperature melts snow, but when it rains too the snow goes away fast and what remains turns to ice.
Although it has just begun to freeze up, my hens and chicks are locked in a puddle of ice.
The snow changed to clear puddles in some places. It left funny little knobs in others. Some places have granules and some are edges are sharp as a razor.
It is very weird the way water behaves when it changes from one state to another. Walking on the snow makes a crunching sound. Tonight when it gets really cold the formerly snowflakes that are now ice crystals will harden into a firm crust. Tomorrow will likely be a frigid below zero day. If you wanted to walk in the garden you would be able to walk on the surface without making a dent.
We are actually very lucky here. We are used to bad roads and cold weather. Although we grumble about the cold we know we are in upstate New York and we have to expect it. It's the fast ups and downs that bother me. I hope the garden is more adaptable.
