End of Year Beauty and the Beast

Ice storm December 2016 struck when we were suppose to be getting ready for Christmas.  We had rain all day with the temperature hovering around 30 degrees and it did not warm up for a couple days.  Ice built up on all the foliage and trees but seemed to leave the roads in driveable condition.  By the time I came home from work (fortunately I was driving that day rather than the usual biking) our lane was  becoming  impassable from falling limbs.  Later it was big trees!  About one that  afternoon Tom reported that the electricity was out.  That evening we spent warming ourselves by the fire and playing Scrabble under candle light.  We repeatedly heard the crashing sound of tree limbs outside and were afraid to see the damage the next day.  We were out of power for 5 days.  Overall we survived quite well as we had fire, a gas range for cooking and used our generator to strategically fill the water tank and save the frozen food.  Thankfully no damage to structures.  No hot water and carrying water to the sheep did become a bit old.   Thanks to the hard working electric company employees we were not out too long.  Yes it was a beast, but the beauty!

Two big oaks over our lane.

Snowbell tree lit up.

Frozen landscape

frozen apple leaves

Night shot with the full moon.