Plowing My Carriage Roads During a Snow Storm

February 11, 2017

Plowing My Carriage Roads During a Snow Storm

It’s really looking like winter here in the Northeast.

This week, winter storm “Niko” brought blizzard conditions and several hours of rapid snow accumulation to the region - it covered my Bedford, New York farm with more than a foot of snow. We also had high winds and low visibility. My flight out of town for a business trip was canceled, and all the neighborhood schools and stores were closed. Since I was home, I decided to get into my truck and plow all the roads on the property myself. I had a great time indeed.

Enjoy these photos. What is the weather like where you live? Let me know in the comments section below.

: Here I am in the truck – plowing the four miles of carriage roads at the farm – so much fun!

: The snow started coming down overnight, and continued to fall furiously for the rest of the day.

: Look closely – the birds still came to feast at the feeders. Can you spot the cardinal?

: Snow drifts accumulated on every surface. I am so glad my boxwood is well protected under the burlap coverings.

: It is a veritable winter wonderland.

: I love how snow even sticks to the barks of these tree trunks.

: It’s almost hard to see the donkeys’ run-in shed. I am glad all the animals are tucked away indoors, where it is warm and safe.

: The landscape looks so magical covered with untouched snow.

: Look who it is – Sarah, my stable manager. She’s busy mucking out the stalls.

: Stay warm, Sarah.

: The front of my stable with all the individual stall doors closed and my dear Friesians, donkeys, and Fell pony safe inside.

: Looking back – can you see my house in the distance?

: A view looking down the Boxwood Allee draped in burlap forms and lined with stakes to mark the carriage road.

: A view of the peafowl coops – don’t worry, they too are indoors where it is warm and dry.

: A view looking across the paddocks, over the 100-year old white spruce fencing I purchased in Canada.

: The great eastern white pines, Pinus strobus, usually stand out in bold dark green over the landscape, but not on this stormy day.

: One never tires of this view down the Linden tree Allee – I only wish it was longer.

: Here I am going around the Japanese Maple Grove – some of the smaller seedlings may soon be completely covered with snow.

: Here’s Ryan, getting all the snow off the roof of this tropical hoop house.

: Down at the pigeon coops, these hardy birds are enjoying the storm from their aviary.

: Here I am plowing the carriage road in front of my Winter House. At the bottom of the photo is the top of my plow.

: Looking toward the head house from the entrance to the cutting garden flanked by two giant Kenneth Lynch garden urns underneath their burlap shrouds.

: This is the front of my main greenhouse – a great place to escape the bitter cold of winter. I could spend hours in here, tending to my many tropical plants.

: Here is the Pin Oak Allee, located just next to the Equipment Barn.

: Tucked away between the Equipment Barn and a grove of weeping willows is my pinetum – a wonderful collection of evergreens I started planting about 10-years ago.

: If you saw my Instagram post, I got stuck while out plowing the roads – darn. I posed for a quick snapshot while waiting for the grounds crew.

: The back wheels of the truck are stuck in the deep snow – and just down the road from my Winter House.

: Here comes Dominic in our trusty John Deer tractor.

: Dominic pulled up as close as he could to the front of the plow truck.

: And attached the big heavy chains.

: Heavy-duty transport chains are made specifically for these tasks.

: After a few attempts, the plow truck still didn’t move – time for plan-b.

: Dominic attached the chains to the rear of the truck.

: The team made sure to position the tractor, so it guided the plow out of the way of my precious Sargent crabapple trees.

: And, slowly the truck was pulled free.

: Here is the spot where the truck was wedged into the snow and the top layer of gravel.

: It was time to move on to the back of the farm and finish my plowing. Here are the beautiful golden weeping willows in a grove along the edge of a hay field – they add such nice color during these white-out storms.