It’s cold. Real cold. But beautiful in that gray, old leafstrewn, chunks of ice in the water buckets kinda way. Farm chores are a lot more taxing in this weather. Wet gloves stick to metal gates, water spilled on one’s pant legs freezes into a nice hard sheet of ice before you make it back to the house, you get to knock the ice out of the buckets a few times a day and listen to the sad baaas of sheep as you head back up the hill. All this and more. Once we have a few feet of snow on the hill, chores can be downright treacherous.
We’re expecting a snowstorm tonight. The bare trees look almost dingy, and sky is that heavy, heavy gray. You want to yell “Get it over with, already!”
At least, once the snow starts, we can cuddle up beside the woodstove and not go anywhere or do much of anything without the accompanying guilt. What else is there to do? (Aside from cooking, cleaning and kidcare that is...) Also, snow is pretty, especially when viewed from a window.)
Dan’s been working on our new sheep shed. We have two beautiful, cozy barns, but we have three beautiful breeding groups this year. So SOMEBODY—in this case veteran ewe, Copper, ram lamb, Harry, and the lovely, badgerfaced Leela—will be out in the cold unless we get the durn thing built. And the sooner the better, as Charlie has been tailing around after his little half-brother James with an unmistakable posture of ramly intention. Here they are in a less testosterone infused moment:
While Dan was out pounding nails in the 15 degree weather, I strolled by to take a few photos of the status quo. (In my defense, the exactitude required by building doesn’t fit with my “looks good enough/let’s just try it and see” sensibilities. Dan and I have worked out an equitable division of labor that does not require me to mess up--- er, build—many of the farm construction projects.)
It's going to come sooner or later. So, I say (halfheartedly) let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
At least, once the snow starts, we can cuddle up beside the woodstove and not go anywhere or do much of anything without the accompanying guilt. What else is there to do? (Aside from cooking, cleaning and kidcare that is...) Also, snow is pretty, especially when viewed from a window.) Dan’s been working on our new sheep shed. We have two beautiful, cozy barns, but we have three beautiful breeding groups this year. So SOMEBODY—in this case veteran ewe, Copper, ram lamb, Harry, and the lovely, badgerfaced Leela—will be out in the cold unless we get the durn thing built. And the sooner the better, as Charlie has been tailing around after his little half-brother James with an unmistakable posture of ramly intention. Here they are in a less testosterone infused moment:
While Dan was out pounding nails in the 15 degree weather, I strolled by to take a few photos of the status quo. (In my defense, the exactitude required by building doesn’t fit with my “looks good enough/let’s just try it and see” sensibilities. Dan and I have worked out an equitable division of labor that does not require me to mess up--- er, build—many of the farm construction projects.)
It's going to come sooner or later. So, I say (halfheartedly) let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
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