The final snow before spring (fingers crossed)

We got lots of snow last night. Everything is silent and beautiful, but it's almost scary how much weight is in the trees around us. All the branches (and power lines) are much closer to the ground than usual. We heard an odd cracking/scraping sound early this morning before we got out of bed, and we suspect that it came from the branch in the picture below, which usually isn't hanging out on our balcony. We aren't sure yet if it's broken, but it doesn't look good. (On a positive note, look at the buds! Spring really is trying to arrive!)

I feel sorry for all the little trees that can't handle the heavy snow. They've been bowed a few times this winter and seem to have bounced back every time they thaw, so I hope they'll survive.

Winter this year is serious business. The day before we were supposed to move the house back in December, this area got about 10 inches of snow, and we've had plenty of snow off and on since then. Now that we're five days into spring, I hope the current snow storm will be the last til next December. By then, maybe we'll have figured out how to use the snow plow attachment for our little tractor -- although I don't really mind being snowed in here.

On a side note, I think the snow has really thrown off the local animals. We saw a big owl (we think a barred owl, which we've heard call before) outside our window in broad daylight, and four deer paraded right across the driveway this morning. And now someone's big dog just came wandering through the yard. He took care to pee right on our snow-buried daffodils before trotting off into the woods. Naturally, I only got a picture of the least interesting creature of the day.