Eliza Waters

We don’t usually get significent snowfall in October, at most, a few flurries. Yesterday, what was predicted to be ‘an inch of snow turning to rain’ turned into 3.5″ of heavy, wet snow with a topping of sleet. An October surprise!

While many trees have shed their leaves, there were plenty of shrubs and oaks with leaves still on and I worried that the soggy load would cause breakage. In the above photo, on the right is the weigela weighed down and just past the sunspace, the fothergilla is flattened. After I took these photos, I went around with a broom to knock off the excess. I’m glad to report all made it through fine and today are standing back up. The oak across the road lost a few branches, but it was sustainable. Not wasted, it will be windfall firewood for us.

Cornus kousa

Viburnum tomentosum mariesii

The Korean dogwood bends under its load and you can see the whiteout beyond.

And for those following my Tuesday Views, here’s the garden. You can see snowflakes falling past the camera and the little blue globe stands abandoned by its floral friends. The Eastern redbud shrub at the forest edge, and an oak behind it, still have leaves.

A stroll down to the river shows more whiteout and a just-turning American beech hunkers down. Below is the view upriver. It really is coming down heavily. My fingers are frozen, but it sure is pretty!

Snow etching

Buddha serenely weathers the storm