Snow In May!!?

Written By Aven Shore

Quite a surprise to wake up to several inches of snow in the morning, mid May.

Side of wood-sided building with shed roof and red door, smaller structure behind with red door, trees and branches in foreground, all thickly covered with heavy snow

Gorgeous, just unexpected for Mother’s Day.

The pigs were non-plussed. Maybe they’ve seen snow before, but it doesn’t seem like it.

The squirrels were very funny, bounding around in the snow, tunneling and popping up through it like gophers. Competition is heightened since I blocked squirrel access to the bird feeders, and they’re stuck with what they can find on the ground.

Evidently, they inspected the feed storage in the morning, to see if there was any early access.

Three aluminum garbage cans with thick snow caps on the lids, with chunks of snow disrupted as though chewed
Red squirrel perched in a snowscape of many vertical branches, all snow laden, with paws folded over chest and tail against back
Red squirrel looking directly at camera, paws closed in front. Sitting in deep snow with a few vertical twigs visible.
Red squirrel sitting in deep snow with tail around feet, holding something to its mouth with both pawas, eating.

Then there were the chickens. It was brisk today, so I left the door to the GH closed for awhile, and when I opened it, they surged up to me and out the door. Annnnnd, stopped short.

Six brownish hens, three pearl grey guinea fowl, one white rooster, in a group in front of open door of clear plastic wrapped structure, looking at snow covered ground in front of them.
Six brownish hens, two pearl grey guinea fowl, one white rooster, in a group in front of open door of clear plastic wrapped structure, looking at snow covered ground in front of them. Rooster and guinea looking directly at camera.

Necks were long.

Six brownish hens, one pearl grey guinea fowl, one white rooster, in a group in front of open door of clear plastic wrapped structure, turning away from the snow and back towards door.

Consensus was to promptly go back inside!

These birds are enjoying continued warmth and luxury accomodations far past their usual eviction date. I always plant tomatoes in the GH on May 1, which means moving the chicken coops outside for the summer and a major house clean. Not this year. I’ve got nothing to put in the GH yet, because my starts are growing slow and are too small, sooo, the chickens benefit. They’re really dust-bathing up a storm by the far doors.

It was a warm day and the snow was all gone by the end of it, just a morning novelty.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Aven Shore
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