All the ways Maine is wicked good
Not sure how much snow we got but I’d guess at least five inches. It was a wet, heavy snow, and knocked the power out for a couple of days.
I took this picture at 6:55 AM on Thursday April 4th, while it was still snowing, and before the really heavy winds kicked in.
Heavy snow the morning of April 4, 2024
I took this picture on Sunday afternoon. Late Satrurday night, the snow turned to freezing rain, covering even the top branches of the oaks with glittering coats of ices.
Oaks covered with ice
On April fourth a friend gave us a bunch of pussy willows and Forsythia. The willow blossoms were in full bloom, but the Forsythia hadn’t even quite leafed out yet.
I put them in water, and the Forsythia proceeded to leaf out and then bud, and then blossom.
Then this happened today:
It’s still snowing even now. It started at 4pm.
The fog here is beautiful, and not the same as the Cheshire County N.H. fogs and mists, or the fog from home—though we do get some very dramatic fogs in Puget Sound, especially in late fall and early winter.
I’ve been trying to take pictures of the Maine fog in the early morning and evening, as it winds through the trees. The fog looks like someone has wound gauze ribbon in and out and around the trunks and branches of the trees. I’ve mostly failed to capture the way the fog looks. The fog looks tangible, as if you could reach out and tug on it to move a ribbon.
My friend Heather has done much better in these Bailey Island Lands End photos.
At home, we don’t see icicles that often; frost is more common. It’s often a thick, deep frost that is clearly crystalline in nature, coating solid objects, leaves, and even blades of grass.
I’ve been trying to take pictures of icicles in Maine and the way they reflect the light, often displaying an almost iridescent shimmer that I have completely failed to capture. The icicles have been impressive every winter, but this year was particularly remarkable for the extent and frequency of ice coating the bushes and leaves.
The Portland Press Herald article is pretty clear:
Most of the snow will be early on Sunday. The prediction is for “10-18 inches of snow at the coast and up to 2 feet inland.” And then c. noon, the snow turns to “wintery mix” otherwise known as snow, sleet and rain. It’s ugly for bird, beast, and Mainer. The icy coating (and cold temps) make foraging difficult, and driving impossible.
I have filled the feeders, and put out fresh suet. And I purchased a 4.5 quart bean pot at Reny’s. I have yet to obtain any beans, but I am working on it.
Today is high is 22F. I still have one more suet cage to fill, and am understandably reluctant to do it. So far the grey squirrels, who are obese and numerous, are less than fond of the Capsaicin-laced suet and hot-sauce coated black-oil Sunflower seeds.
I’ll probably add more pictures throughout the day. It’s still snowing; the flakes are clumping together now. I heard geese off in the distance when I went out to take pictures today, and many, many Nuthatches in the trees.
It’s going to turn to rain, probably, in a couple of hours, but we have a light snow falling. It’s the kind of snow they put on greeting cards; not too thick, not windy, just white snow falling steadily.
Naturally, when the Cardinal landed on the Rhododendron, I had to take a picture (through the window, on my iPhone). If it had a little more snow on the Rhoddodendron, and I had taken a slightly better picture, I’d have a holiday card.
It’s not technically the first snow of the season, but it’s the first I’ve seen happening. Rain turned to mixed snow-and-rain. 35F.
