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I don’t just prepare for winter by splitting wood, ya know!
Okay, so I don’t split wood. But I know how!!! (That is all that counts.)
In Winter’s snow and ice, our driveway becomes impassable for the better part of three months. There are days, sometimes weeks at a time, when I can’t drive up or down the driveway. During these times, it’s necessary to park my vehicle at the bottom of the driveway and hike up and down on foot. (This is one of the reasons I stock up on food and supplies as much as possible–it’s hard toting supplies up the driveway on my back, er, on the children’s backs!)
Not only is the slippery snow and ice difficult to traverse, the driveway is steep–and long! About 600 feet long, to be exact. It’s a hike. As opposed to many of Winter’s other hardships, wearing myself out on the driveway is one thing I can do something about.
This year, I decided to beat Winter at her own game, foiling her dastardly plot to kill me, by beginning a driveway physical training program now. Not that I don’t get my exercise around here in the course of daily chores, but hiking up the driveway is a particular sort of challenge and requires muscle strength and stamina. Unless you want to get to the top with your legs quivering and panting for breath. Which is pretty much how I do it most of the time. Not this year! I want to bound up that driveway this winter like Superman. I want–
I want my children to not be laughing at me.
Because they do. They’re mean. They’re also athletes, so they bound up the driveway like Superman. It’s embarrassing. For me.
You should do it with me! Let’s go. I like to do this in the evening, after my day of working on the farm, before I take a shower. We’ll start here at the top of the driveway.
Don’t worry–this is the easy part, going down. We won’t be lonely. The dogs will come with us, and we’ll meet lots of other friends along the way.
The driveway drops off pretty sharply on one side, so I hope you haven’t been drinking. You wouldn’t want to stumble.
There are lots of creepy-looking tangles of grapevines hanging from the trees here. Don’t be scared. This isn’t a Snow White movie. They won’t try to attack you. You can pull some down later and make a grapevine wreath, though, if you want.
Down, down we go.
If you look up now, you can see the house up on the hill through the trees. It’s hard to get a good picture of the front of our house because just past the goat yard, the ground drops off steeply.
The dogs are so glad we’ve started doing this! Dogs love walks.
They don’t even care if we go up and down in the exact same place!
We’re about halfway down. If you look up now, you can’t even see the house.
But you can see the field where the sheep are grazing.
And you can see the river.
And you can find interesting late summer-early fall decorations.
You can also find– Do you see what I see? Across the road, outside the red gate.
That lamb is out. AGAIN.
You’ll need to put her back, but no rush. She does this every day. She’s not going anywhere. Eclipse and Rhett are calling us. They miss the girls so much since they moved down to the meadow bottom.
Let’s go on up the road a little bit to see Beulah Petunia. Do you see her?
How now, brown cow?
You know, Beulie Petunie, I don’t think that’s a real lady-like position.
I don’t think she cares, do you?
C’mon, everybody, time to go back. We’ve got a lamb to put in, and more friends to visit!
There she is.
She thinks we’re taking too long and she’s getting impatient.
Don’t worry, it’s real easy. Just open the gate and in she goes!
Now you can visit with the other sheep.
That Annabelle has grown into such a beauty.
You better give her a scratch.
She misses her people. You know, the dogs.
Okay, that’s enough being lazy. This is business! We’re in training. Get up that driveway!
Work it!
Casper’s keeping up and he’s just a baby. Don’t be whining!
He’s getting ahead! No stopping to rest!
You made it!
Now, go down again. No goofing around with the animals this time, though. Down and up. Down and up. No stopping.
Just do that four or five more times and you’re done. For today. Do it again tomorrow, and every day till Winter!
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Good night.
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http://cozywinters.com/ice-cleats/ice-cleats.html – We use the ones in the top row, middle picture. Love them for walking on icy sidewalks or driveways.
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Great to see all the animals again though, thank you!
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Your farm is stunningly beautiful!! I love the trees, the winding drive way (non snow covered of course) and all the fantastic animals!! You are living my dream
Good for you for training for winter driveway scaling. good luck, at least you have lots of company and wonderful scenery to keep you company!
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What a lovely spot in the woods.
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Annabelle really is a beauty. And as for Beulah Petunia not looking ladylike, were YOU worried about looking ladylike when you were that pregnant?
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Love your work-out Suzanne! You could video it and create your interactive bootcamp from home! Just have us walking with you up and down…..up and down…..
The only problem I would have is it’s much hotter here and much flatter!
Keep up the good work ’cause winter is around the corner!!!!
Debbie (Spencer’s mom!)
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Don’t overdo it at first. Maybe only once up and down the drive for the first week; twice up and down the second week, etc. until you get up to 5 times. My thighs would be quaking if I tried it 5 times right off the git go.
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Good luck with your training.
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