Break Out the Snowshoes

........Snapshots without pictures.......

or

A little something different

The 4-6" of snow we were supposed to get turned out to be about a foot or so.
Slogging through to do the chores this morning was interesting
and slow.
The big girl goats were up to their knees,
the little girl goats were up to their butts.
Dulcinea was so covered in snow that she looked like a sheep

---a really WIDE sheep.

Almost.
It seems that she's got a baby bump--finally. 
I hope this time she took.

It's doing something outside right now, but I can't tell what.  Maybe it's ice.
Lots of clothing drying by the woodstove.
Kids went out, sank, floundered, and came back in.
Chickens wouldn't even come out.
Ducks and geese are standing in the one spot of their pond that has fluid water in it.
It is VERY crowded right there.

Now it's snowing again....

There are some seeds sprouting on the indoor rack in the dining room.
Marigolds right now.
Petunias to follow.
We shrank the table to put the rack up.
Little bits of green in the black, under the purpley grow lights.
Lovely to see.  Makes me feel happy.

Seed orders for the year on their way here.
Planning for meatbirds and turkeys this spring.
Figuring numbers.
Counting costs and weighing benefits.

Icky got to the cheese again.
This time, Parmesan.
He ate a hole in one side, so I cut it and smoothed it.
And yelled at him.
He didn't notice.

 

We ate our first wheel of properly aged Farmhouse Cheddar last week.
It was a symphony.
There are no words to describe how good it was.
We ate more than we should have, and would have gone back for more.
I am purposely staying out of the cheese fridge until absolutely necessary.

Saturday was warm-ish, so I let the birds out for a run.
And I sat and watched.

Bliss.

Total recharge, that day.
It was like a big sigh of relief.

Then I sat with the goats. 
And let them sit on my lap.
Especially Cynthia the Small.
Everyone should keep a goat. 
They are the greatest, hands down.
They don't judge, and they like Frosted Mini Wheats.
How can you go wrong with that?
I sat with them and talked,
and they sat and climbed and stood on me
and nibbled my shoes
and listened.
And it was a good day.

Thor sits in the window and meachs at the birds.
Not quite a "meow", not quite an "ach ach ach ach".
A sound uniquely his own.
He hates those birds, when they fly around his trees
without permission.
He tells them off each and every day,
and each and every day they come back.
It seems they're not listening to his authority.
The double-pane of glass
could have something to do with that.
But he is unconvinced.
They are just stubborn.

When it stops snowing again,

in July,

I'm going to run back and forth on the grass, over and over again.
I haven't seen the grass in a month.
I'm going to sit in the front yard and just be.

For now, I will enjoy the snow.
Maybe not the bitter cold.
But the snow is pretty, and here, and not going away.
And it makes the dark mornings less dark.
So I'll be thankful and enjoy.
And wait for spring to come.