Photos: Toughness and beauty prevail in snowstorm
The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
Under a metal roof, three cows on Route 443 look out into the windy snowstorm that brought several inches to the Hilltowns on Tuesday. Glen Willsie, 79, owns the farm in East Berne said the cattle are Black Angus, Hereford, and cross-breeds of each with Holsteins. He said the farm was originally owned by his grandfather. With milder than predicted weather for the area, local schools like Berne-Knox-Westerlo were still in session, though many after-school activities and late buses were canceled.
The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
Snow snack, a red-and-white cow leans its head down toward some hay on Glen Willsie’s farm in East Berne, while heavy snow comes down on Jan. 27 in a storm that fell short of its extreme predictions across the Northeast.
The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
Waiting out the storm, a dozen cattle stand together near the side of Glen Willsie’s large barn on Jan. 27. Beef cattle can withstand low temperatures for days before becoming stressed, according to Michael Baker, Beef Cattle Extension Specialist for Cornell University. “They have a thick hide, heavy hair coat and a rumen that in the process of fermentation of fibrous feed releases heat,” Baker wrote in an email. “Huddling together is a common behavior to conserve body heat.”
The Enterprise — Marcello Iaia
Night or day: The banks of the Fox Creek are covered in snow and held strong by barren trees on this time of year. Through the clouds of a snowstorm Tuesday, the sun resembled the glow of the moon in the middle of the day in Berne.