The Big Meltdown

The big meltdown has not only begun, it is almost finished! This first picture shows the start of the meltdown, nearly two weeks ago now. You can see that the kennel fencing is two or three feet high, making it less convenient to step over the top.
In the backyard, the big tractor tires and the electric meter emerge and cause the melting to accelerate. Note that there is a ground squirrel next to the meter. The poor ground squirrels just could not wait any longer to come out of hibernation, so they tunneled up through three feet of snow and started running around on the surface.This snowmobile is shading the spot that it is sitting on, and so it ends up high-centered and lopsided as the snow melts around it.

The second snowmobile shows even more melting.
Snowmelt out in the field has started a stream and the beginnings of a lake on top of the snow. Total snow depth is still about two feet here. The snow disappeared the soonest around the edge of the house and shed. The ground squirrels loved these low spots.

Here is a closeup of the bold little tyke.

The rhubarb started growing almost before it was uncovered! The little orange dots at the bottom of the picture are new rhubarb stalks. Look at it growing right next to that three foot snowbank!

The hardy tulips are actually growing right up through the snow before it has melted all the way yet! I took this picture a scant two days ago!