Hello, Winter.
This has not been a rough winter so far, or really what I’d even call a winter. This winter has been a late bloomer. It’s been nothing to compare to last year when I had water frozen at the house and the barn and was hauling buckets of water in the back of the truck from my neighbor’s house. Or when the furnace went out twice and I had no wood. Or how about that time my PARKED car slid out of the driveway into the middle of the road? Or when it was so cold, the milking machine wouldn’t even work? Or all the times I climbed over the barnyard gate because it was frozen in place? Then there was that hen who froze to death on the studio deck. Or the sheep that got trampled by the cows in the doorway of the outdoor access stall and was frozen in the ground for a month before I could remove it.
I HAVE STORIES.
But let’s forget about last winter. I didn’t really like it.
I was all prepared for this winter, better than ever. New gas wall heaters in the studio, cellar, and house to keep things toasty. Enough wood for two winters. Space heaters to point at all necessary locations for added heat on especially cold nights. A stockpile of necessities to avoid trips to the store on bad weeks.
So far, all these preparations have just been a feel-good thing because other than a few sporadic bouts of cold weather, it hasn’t been bad. There haven’t been any extended severe temperatures or deep snow. That all changed this weekend with almost whiteout conditions on Friday and temperatures dropping into the single digits at night over the weekend. These super freezing temperatures are going to continue through this week and we’re expecting six to ten inches of snow today alone. February finally found our long lost winter and brought her home.
WHY, February, WHY? The cruelty of it. Let sleeping winters lie.
And yet. I have a stockpile of food. I have toilet paper, wine, food for the animals. Priorities not necessarily in that order. I have no hot water running in the house today (DESPITE all my efforts), but I have a warm fire and a gas wall heater in case the power goes out, and I have a sweet puppy on my lap and three hours of The Bachelor on my DVR. I’m sure a few hours of watching crazy women fight over this cute guy on TV will fortify me for my sub-freezing chores. And then, yes, THEN.
I’ll have a glass of wine.
Leck Kill Farm says:
I am liking the sound of all your ducks in a row. Who won’t love toasty fire and a puppy.
Curious about your ottoman, do you always keep a gun laying out in the open?
On February 16, 2015 at 11:34 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
oh, I just left it there after squirrel season was over, hadn’t put it away yet.
On February 16, 2015 at 2:05 pm
GA_in_GA says:
I also wondered about your gun being kept on the ottoman.
On February 16, 2015 at 11:50 am
momto2 says:
I see some yarn over there waiting for you! You did get in all your winter preps!! :shimmy: :hug:
On February 16, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Granma2girls says:
We had a green Christmas this year,which certainly didn’t hurt my feelings. But the second week in January we got walloped with snow and it’s been the snowiest and coldest winter in a hundred years. We live in town, our driveways all have 6′ plus,snow banks at the end of them. There is no more places to put the snow. If you shovel it up the bank, it comes rolling down. And the driveways are getting narrower as more snow falls. We had a friend come and push the snow banks onto our front lawn. Now those are almost 7′ high. We are sooo sick of it! We live across the river from Buffalo,NY you’d think we’d be use to it by now.. But we have had some pretty mild winters.
You’re looking pretty cozy,Suzanne, with the fire going and Precious on your lap!
On February 16, 2015 at 1:45 pm
Joell says:
:happyflower:
Love the last photo, now that is the way winter is meant to be spent..your first photo is what we are getting now, it is not going to be a pleasant evening for those driving on the road.
I hope you can spend more winter evenings like this one, now that you are a “seasoned” farmer.
Very nice to see. :happyflower:
On February 16, 2015 at 2:48 pm
starmartin says:
Now there’s a thought. Becoming the next Bachelorette…..You would be awesome on that show. Finding a man who’s not afraid of cows!
On February 17, 2015 at 12:07 am
Ann W says:
Who do you think is Chris’s pick? I like Whitney the best.
On February 17, 2015 at 8:36 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
I’ve been rooting for Kaitlyn!
On February 17, 2015 at 1:12 pm
jodiezoeller says:
Did you watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? The dog that went to the group competition this year was a powder puff type. It was good to see what an adult looked like.
On February 18, 2015 at 1:49 pm