Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Well Hello Winter



My Writers Studio

It happens every year, and yet I still find it special, that first snow.

Some years we get a few flurries with the initial cold weather shift, but this year we got the real deal, about 5 inches of heavy wet stuff two days ago.

I run nostalgic about first snows, remembering the big storms of my life like the huge Chicago snow of 1967. I was eight years old and we lived in a three story walk-up. With three other babes at home, my father took my six old sister Mary and I out into the storm of the century to bring home bread and milk. He pulled us on a sled down the middle of Ashland Ave. where no motorized vehicles were running. It was exhilarating!

Image result for chicago snow 1967
chicagotribune.com
  Image result for chicago snow 1967





This snow, 49 years later, was absolutely benign compared to that, but still; it reminds me of my fathers' ways: his intent to keep his family safe, warm and fed, his desire to prove a little weather couldn't slow him down, his unending love to have fun in life.

Thankfully, we had our animal shelters secured just prior to our minor snow of 2016, and our Rocket Mass Stove is working just fine. My horse Ennis though, only occasioanally hangs out in her livestock trailer shelter.  She's always been a bit of a snow bunny.



We do need a good tarp for our sole tractor as there is no barn or garage (yet) to house it. Take note for anyone related to us reading this blog, who needs a Christmas idea. Yes, subtle, that's me.



Of course, someone always gets stuck in our drive, which is sorely lacking for a good bed of gravel. Problem solved with the old truck and a chain pulling out the newer truck.



This next weeks temps will drop into the teens but for us, frozen ground is so much better than the deep mud we had yesterday after the temp went up and melted about half the snow. All our ground hoses are out of commission now for the season and water must be carried to our livestock, which is not too much of a burden since our numbers are so small compared to the years we were on the big farm. We carry multiple five gallon buckets for one horse, two cows, four steer and the chickens/ducks. The dogs and cats drink out of any of those water troughs as desired.

Our Looney Bin was built between a tall thick grove of Evergreens on the south and smaller trees; a Weeping Mulberry, an Aspen, a grove of wild Plum. After this snow it looked like we tucked inside a fluffy ball of cotton candy, where the wind never really hits us, but just swirls around us.

Not a bad place to be.





                                                             




24 comments:

  1. I enjoyed your pictures. We have not yet had snow, just a lot of rain and this week will end with some low temps in the teens.

    We do get snow here, a good bit some winters, so we may have a White Christmas. Hope your horse stays out of that snow and goes back to his stall!

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    1. Hi Harry, Ennis loves being outside and has a large area to roam year round. Only when it is wet and windy does she seek the shelter of her livestock trailer. She's a tough gal.

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  2. Beautiful photos. You look like you are living "the dream".

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    1. It's much dreamier when the pastures are green but then again, when days are longer so are our work days.

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  3. Such lovely photos. How magical does that weeping mulberry look dusted with snow?

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    1. I know! I am planning a fairy garden/village under that tree. Started it last summer. Said it was for the GK's but really it's for me.

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  4. Hello, Ennis. You have a nice rump.

    Love,
    Janie

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  5. It must've snowed over half of North America in the last couple of days!!! We, on the Wet Coast, just south of Vancouver, B.C. got a big dump yesterday too. This is definitely NOT our usual thing. But it's nice for a change. Even when I got my snow tires on Monday, the boys were laughing & saying I was crazy. I'm just glad I don't have to pack 5 gallon pails of water every day . . . you enjoy that stove. Put a little hootch in your coffee, too.

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    1. I am sooooo hoping for some good "hootch" this Christmas. Specifically Jameson or Red Breast whiskey. Small bottles are OK, but please buy me several.

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  6. Beautiful pictures. I'm glad you can be that upbeat about your first real snow: when it happens here I get out the wool blankets and my tattered copy of The Shining

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    1. I love The Shining! And the movie was also a fav, but poor Shelly Duvall...casting really blew it with her.

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  7. You guys are rugging up, just as we in Australia, are stripping down. I'm trying to imagine all that cool snow, as I bake in our recent heatwave. I'm glad there's a cycle, so we get to take turns at the extremes. ;)

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    1. "rugging up" Love that! I'm going to use it often and impress my friends (I have three) with my Aussie talk.

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  8. Replies
    1. Looks can be conceiving. Did I say that right?

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    2. Deceiving maybe? It looks nice but I'm glad you have it and not us.

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  9. The house looks wonderful. Oh, and we're having beautiful weather here at the moment; almost Spring-like.

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    1. Good for you! We had a great fall so I have no bitterness towards winter, except when I am doing chores outside, or gathering wood, or walking to get the mail...

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  11. A pretty snow. We haven't had any yet, which is fine by me. I like it, but in small doses. :)
    The worst thing about leaving your tractor out in the snow like that is if you have to use it the next morning that means sitting on a cold wet seat. I know this from experience. :)

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    1. Fortunately our tractor seat can be tipped forward if one remembers to do so. This eliminates wetness bu t not the cold. If I were a good farm wife I would sit my arse on that seat before my husband uses it, but then you start setting up false expectations.

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  12. We got big sloppy wet snow that stuck a bit here and there. But I am holding out for the real deal. Well heck living in California (even though Nor. Cal as in almost at the Oregon border) we will take percip in any way, shape or form. Kiss that horse I love a girl who knows her own mind.

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