Day: March 7, 2011

Rose and I made it up the hill to check on the donkeys. This is an eerily powerful storm. None of it fazed her.

The donkeys were hungry and thirsty. We got one bale up there and three buckets of water. They were very skittish, then settled down. I’m going back up there with Rose in a bit to check on things. Storm still raging.

This was the toughest morning I can remember at the farm. The gates and doors were all blocked. We couldn’t open the barn, get to the hay, slide the doors, or even find a path up the hill that wasn’t six or seven feet deep. Punishing winds, snow, then sleet, then snow and ice. We dug a door open at the side of the barn, hauled a bale or two of hay up the hill, dragged a bucket and three jugs of water up – it took four or five trips. The donkeys are completely trapped in the barn, and we will get another bale of hay up and some water, which will freeze by tonight. It is supposed to snow at least until noon, and heavily gusting winds are piling the snow up to levels I’ve never seen.

We just back into the farmhouse and are having some breakfast.Then back out. Took some video. It is beautiful. The snow and ice are rock hard and can’t be shoveled. Had to pour boiling water on the pasture gates to get the latches working. The donkeys are anxious, but okay, dry and fed. But they will be up there for a few days at least.

We’re heading up to get hay and water to the doneys, or even better, to lure then down into the barn. They want to come down, but are stuck in the ice and snow and water rushing under the snow banks. Hope the Internet holds up. Up to 20 more inches expected by noon.

The worst storm yet of the winter hit us surprisingly yesterday and last night. Heavy snow, ice, strong winds. This snow can’t be shoveled, and is challenging us. The donkeys are trapped up in the Pole Barn and we have to get hay and water up to them. We tried to get them down all day yesterday but they couldn’t navigate the ice and water. We’ll try again this morning, and I’ll try and get a video of it.