This was the storm that almost never came. We heard about it all week and were told it would strike from Thursday night until Saturday. We gave up on it Friday and woke up to it this morning.

This storm – I think the corporate weather ghouls named it Diaz – was not impressive when it came to the stunning blizzards of upstate New York winters.

When I moved to my first farm in 2003, it was not uncommon to have spurts of – 30-degree weather and Canada howlers that ended up being as tall as I am.

This was a mess in its own right – about five or six inches of snow plus rain and ice.

These are the storms I  fear. This shy storm has come and gone.  It was nasty for a while, lots of limbs down and ice. It was also beautiful.

We shoved and cleaned off the cars, and the very excellent Mike Coughlin came clear off the driveway and dug out the cars.

I didn’t fall, cleaned off the cards, tested our new Snow Blower (mixed results), and took a nap.

My daughter sent me an excellent new book about famed street photographer Joe McNally (The Real Deal: Field Notes From The Life Of A Working Photographer), and I’m hooked. And inspired. We give Christmas presents early and open them right away.

I gave her two 1,000-piece crossword puzzles to play with her and Robin, and I gave Robin a Karioake microphone so she could sing out loud. Emma will probably hate me for that.

I’ve decided to make the storm my photo project of the day; I’ve documented its arrival and departure, me and my Leica 2, which I love like a brother (or sister.) I liked doing it, and I hope you enjoy it.

I’m determined to capture the experience of winter positively and beautifully if I can.

Maria is an upbeat and hard-working partner during a storm. She loves being outside, cleaning up, and observing the birds, donkeys, and sheep. Batteries are the most beautiful at the beginning and the end. They are never dull or ugly.

I got worn out from all the shoveling, even though I did the least of it. Maria went for a long walk in the woods with the dogs.

Come and see:

We lost a major branch on our White Birch tree, one of the oldest trees on the farm.

The donkeys are not impressed by storms. They stay in the Pole Barn but are happy to come out and have hay and grain. Their silhouettes are always beautiful and iconic.

Maria was surprised and delighted to find an egg in the roost; it was delicious at breakfast. She thinks the hens have stopped molting and are laying again.

We will put a bulb in the roost to trick them into thinking the days are longer. These fresh eggs are so much more delicious than the ones sold in stores.

Late morning, a fine mist settled over our little valley. The Leica loves different shades of color and captures them well. All of these photos were taken in color.

Less is more; I’m learning photography and life.

I went across the road to capture Bedlam Farm at the height of the storm. Our Little Free Library is brave and hardy.

We threw some hay we collected from the barn floor over the fence to keep the donkeys happy.

We’ve been lucky this year. Several huge limbs have fallen off our oldest trees; they all fell in the right places. This one will be on the ground until April.

The apple tree and the pasture caught the feeling of ice storm and snow; it was soft and lovely. I’m learning to capture the softness and shades in my landscape pictures. Digital cameras have trouble with softness and shade.

I tried the new Snow Blower we got last year, but the snow was heavy and very wet. Better luck next time. (This was a digital photo, not soft.)

The sky after a storm is always gorgeous. The sun came out in mid-afternoon. The storm was over.

As always, Fate gets the last word.