WiseAcre Gardens » Blog Archive » Locked in Snow and Ice

Posted by WiseAcre on Feb 17th, 2009

Locked in Snow and Ice

2009

Feb 17

An Oak leaf locked in ice is a reminder that winter still has a firm grip on the area.

Mother Nature has given us a couple of breaks lately but Old Man Winter isn’t going to let go so easily.

If you’re tired of winter I have something to take your mind off of it.

Raise your right foot and rotate it in a clockwise direction
While making the clockwise circles with your foot raise your right hand and write the number 6 in the air

Keep trying to keep your foot moving clockwise and writing 6 until you get it. That will keep you busy until the cows come home..

A local swamp is frozen solid. The ice is plenty thick enough to walk on but the dog refused to step onto the slippery surface. We skirted the edge for a while before heading back uphill into the woods.

Swamp Ice

I had planned to hike to the far end of the swamp to take some photos of a Beaver Dam but Pookey was pooped out. We’d already been walking a couple hours and she was ready to head home.

Frozen over swamp

We came across the ruins of a concrete and cast iron construction. I was certain I knew what it was as soon as I saw it.

Can you guess what it is?

Maple Syrup Evaporator - ruins

I’d only expect those in or with roots in the northeast to have a clue. If they are still having a hard time – Grimm Co. – Rutland, Vermont is stamped on the iron door piece. Over to the right is an old pan laying in the snow.

Maple Syrup Evaporator - ruins

At one time there must have been a shack that housed the ruins of this Maple Syrup Evaporator. I can’t believe someone went to the effort and expense of building an arch and not protecting it. Besides when you’re boiling sap for hours on end it’s nice to be out of the elements.

OK so what. They say you can’t make a mountain out of a mole hill but I guess an anthill makes a good start. This is a fair sized anthill but I’ve seen them twice as big. They’re common on wet ground where the ants have to build up to get out of the water.

Anthill

And last but not least is my first wildflower discovery of the year. There’s no flower but it’s easy to see that this is Partridgeberry.

Partridgeberry in snow

Sorry – no wallpapers today. If you want one made of any of these images – just say so in your comment. I’ve decided it best to make them on request instead of filling up my storage space. I was getting a little carried away and was shocked by how much space they had eaten up.

11 Responses

mimmylynn Says:
February 17th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Since you have become de-zombified you have come back with a vengeance. I, for one, am thrilled. The pictures you’ve been posting are stupendous.

mimmylynn,
I’m making up for trance time I should take it easy on the camera though, I’m coming back with far more pics than I’ll ever be able to use.
Debbie Says:
February 17th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Great photos.

I recognized the evaporator as soon as I spotted the pans. They were a dead giveaway. We’ll soon be seeing the steam from the maple sugar shacks in our area.

What a glorious sight to see a bit of green.

Debbie,
I wouldn’t be surprised if some people are already tapping trees. It is getting close
Ratty Says:
February 18th, 2009 at 12:46 am
I loved the swamp pictures. I can see why the dog didn’t want to go out there. When my dog used to get tired when I took her out for a walk in the wintertime, I would end up having to carry her home. She would’ve done the same for me if she could.

Ratty,
Maybe if I got her skates she’d go out on the ice. There’s no way I’d carry Pookey home. It’s bad enough that she thinks her 93 lbs makes her a lap dog.
HoneyB Says:
February 18th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Ok, I don’t think that little exercise at the beginning of your post is going to distract me enough. ;o)

It is very icy! Our driveway is pure ice at the bottom! Of course, we have to be at at a down hill slope…

My daddy used to make maple syrup, now my cousins make it. That is one of the best things about spring coming….the sap will start to run! I can’t wait!

HoneyB,
I had to stop the exercise before I short circuited my brain

Look on the bright side, getting down the driveway is easy now.

I’ve been planning to boil sap now for a couple of years but I can’t get my friend in the pot because he keeps running away.

Do your cousins get supplies at MKS over by Knaps Station? They should check it out if not. – and tell them I sent them. Not that they’ll get a better deal but maybe I will when I go to buy one of the “backyard boilers’ they have.
Rainfield Says:
February 18th, 2009 at 7:18 am
An Oak leaf locked in ice…a fossil…

I must be wrong to link both together otherwise we too become fossils.

Rainfield,
I don’t think you have to worry about being locked in ice
Leo Says:
February 18th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Seeing your photo of the abandoned maple sap boiler arch made me wonder about it. I did a minimum amount of searching to find a rather informative article on the arch and it’s manufacturer. It can be located at the following address.
http://www.hudsonlibrary.org/hudson%20website/Archives/Archives/gustavehgrimm.htm

Leo,
Thanks for the history lesson I didn’t realize drop flues went back so far. (1882) My ‘find’ must be a later model, the doors are slightly different. Looking closely at one of my photos I noticed ’07′ on the upper right of the door piece. – at least it looks like 07 it could be 01, G7 or G1. I’ll have to go back for a closer personal look.
Joy Says:
February 19th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Dear Mr. WiseA**
I thought it was a feeding trough of some kind .. now shouldn’t I KNOW BETTER ?? LOL
Love the blue sky back drop to the ice swamp pictures : )
And that glorious bit of green in the brown and white .. you know what is coming don’t you ? BIG sigh !!
wink wink !! LOL
Great pictures even when we are still in the grip of you know who >>> aarrgghhh !

Joy,
[bites Tongue] and refrains from making a comment about eating habits.

Yep, it was great to see a little bit of green. At least I got to see it before it was covered in white again – BIG SIGH
peppylady Says:
February 19th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I had to see being stuck in ice and snow.
I keep telling me spring is on it way and every morning it cold and snow is still sitting on the ground.
I haven’t yet seen and green plants coming up
I’ve never heard of partridgeberry plant.

peppylady,
Sounds like you didn’t need to come here to see being stuck in snow and ice when all you have to do is look out your window Winter is getting a bit much isn’t it?

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) is a fairly common wildflower in the woods around here. One thing that makes it interesting is that it produces a pair of flowers at the end of the stems which ‘fuse’ producing a single berry.
Northern Shade Says:
February 20th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
These are beautiful pictures of a day out exploring under a bright blue sky. I have a couple of plants that stay green under the snow, and when the snow melted a bit at the corner of the house, I went out to check them. That’s about as close to gardening as I get lately.

Northern Shade,
I have a couple hidden plants that were exposed the other day. The Gill-over-the-ground by the house foundation (I know to most it’s a weed but sometimes it’s best to go with the flow and call it a ground cover) and some Vinca in the woodland shade garden that the deer pawed through the snow to get at. I am ‘gardening’ though – removing the beaver dam the utility company left in my pond when they cut down the Maple tree that grew next to it.
Giddy Says:
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Being the “parent” of two black cats, I enjoyed the white cats best.

While white is not my most favorite color at the moment (snow, ‘ya know), the kitties are beautiful.

Giddy,
I though by now you’d be sick of Snow White. But those two cuties are irresistible.
WiseAcre Gardens Blog Archive Locked in Snow and Ice | Cast Iron Cookware Says:
May 26th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
[...] WiseAcre Gardens Blog Archive Locked in Snow and Ice Posted by root 19 hours ago (http://wiseacre-gardens.com) We came across the ruins of a concrete and cast iron construction if you want one made of any of these images just say so in your comment while white is not my most favorite color at the moment snow 39 ya know the kitties are beautiful wiseacre gardens is Discuss | Bury | News | wiseacre gardens blog archive locked in snow and ice [...]