Surprise Snowstorm, Wondrous Beauty

I awoke yesterday morning to find a beautiful snowfall had coated everything overnight. The apple orchard was frosted in white:

Looking out my driveway, past the Lilac and Cedar, to the fields across the county road:

After I did the morning chores, I took a drive down the gravel road which bisects my property. I wanted to get pictures of the lovely snow before it was gone. It is spring, even here, despite the appearances to the contrary:

The brushy woodlands, former farm fields, along the road:

A gate into a field which is still fairly open, even though it hasn't been used in many years:

The remains of a giant maple along the road, possibly the mother of many of the maples growing up in the adjoining forest:

And the young maples are being tapped right now, producing maple syrup:

Red Pines had a unique beauty:

And Beech trees continued to hold on to their leaves:

More Red Pines, recently thinned by logging:

My Amish neighbor's farm, carved out of the forest and built by himself:

I continued on, knowing I had enough photos but unable to quit because it was so lovely:

Beech, Birch, Red Pine - my favorite photo of the day:

I finally did turn around and returned home, passing my cattle and horses, scarfing down hay. That reminded me that I needed to give them a new bale before the day was over:

I pulled onto the county road so that I could park facing eastward. I snapped a photo of my own house and barn before I turned in to the driveway: