more snow

The chickens would not come out of their house.  I defrosted their water this morning, and again at lunchtime, and just now put a pot of water right outside the pop hole so that they could drink without venturing more than a step outside.  I was concerned that there were no footprints to show that they had been out at all, though as the wind keeps blowing the snow prints might not have lasted very long.

I opened their house briefly to top up their food, and found a dead mouse on the floor.  I presume it crept in looking for food and shelter, and they killed it.  Chickens can be very territorial about their coop, and they don't seem to like rodents.  Poor hens, all they have done all day is skulk in the bottom of their house, or bob up and down on their perch peering out of the window and making grumbling noises.  They do still have all their toes, however.

The leaves on the evergreen climber Pileostegia viburnoides on the front of the house have turned brown.  I don't like to think what else is dead or maimed under the snow.  The cold is bitter with the wind whipping down from the north, and the postman did not make it today.  It's no good, I hate snow.