Hello February!

For those of you living in the northern-most states,
you have my sympathy.
This cold is brutal.
At minus 8 degrees (F), it's quite frosty...
and I can hardly imagine what you are going through with temperatures so much colder!


It seems like I mention our weather almost daily.
There was a day when I might have rolled my eyes over people talking so much about weather.
That was before I moved to the country.
Weather is such an integral part of life when you live like we do.


Noticing the conditions around me has become part of the magic
of this life.
I pay close attention to the sun, the moon, the stars, the weather...
as it all affects our life here.


I have also come to believe that our farm is located in a tiny
microclimate that is always several degrees lower than the surrounding areas.


This explains why we always have snow that stays longer 
than any other place around here.
Seriously, we have our own little frozen tundra right here on the farm.

All I can say is... it's a good thing that I made up my mind to love Winter.
Yes, it's true... it was a conscious decision to love winter.
When so many months are spent living with these conditions,
it's much easier to decide to love it, than to fight it.
I have learned to give in to whatever conditions we have.
Life is short... why spend a quarter of the year miserable?


You can either take what you are given and see the beauty in it,
or you can spend your days waiting for something better.
I choose to enjoy the ride... wherever it takes me!
So... though it be cold out there...
it is undeniably beautiful and austere and wonderfully refreshing!


As for the animals...


I am happy to report that everyone seems to be weathering the season
with flying colors.
The birds have enough sense to spend their days in the warmth of the house...
except for the runner ducks,
whose wings have been clipped a little by this snow.


They spend their days wistfully looking out at the land they used to patrol.
Most likely to escape their crazy roommates, the guineas!


Be patient, little runners....
the snow will melt and you will run again... soon, I hope.
(Yes the weather is supposed to reach 48 to 50 degrees by Monday...
of course, as usual, we will be just a few degrees colder than that!)


As for the kittens... they are warm and snug in the barn with two heat lamps to keep them toasty.
I hate to think of what their winter would have been like if they had not been rescued!

For Phyllis... the biscotti recipe that I use is Black and White Biscotti...
from the King Arthur Flour website.
It's yummy! 
(I always make a double batch... and hint, where it calls for Espresso powder...
I just use instant coffee)


And just because...
I wanted to share the latest photos of our littlest little,
Easton.
He's now 19 months, and such a love...


We have a busy weekend ahead...
with a house full of guests... humans and dogs.
It's going to be a great weekend!

Comments

jaz@octoberfarm said…
easton is soooo cute! i really need a grandkid! i am really going to try to embrace summer this year. i feel like you do that i am wasting a big part of each year by hating summer. it remains to be seen if i can do this though!
What a fine little man he is. They grow up so fast. Keep warm. Blessings.
This N That said…
Easton is getting so big. Looks like he has a huge personality. Enjoy your weekend and your guests and their dogs! It's going to be a perfect weekend.Yes, I am not a big fan of summer..it's the bugs!! Enjoying winter.. Hard to believe but according to PPL, this weather is warmer than last winter so far.
There's nothing worse than crazy roommates!
I got the Country Magazine in the mail yesterday afternoon that I won from you and after showing it around to some others--I came home--made myself a cup of hot tea and sat and enjoyed reading the whole thing--I think when I get settled again in FL I will be ordering this one along with my Birds and Bloom one!! thanks for a great read--(though I thought they could of done far more photos of your farm!!)
have a great week end with family and friends and farm critters!!
luv, di
Anonymous said…
Hello and thank you so much for the biscotti info. Will be giving
that a try very soon. Watching your little kittens grow and oh, my
goodness, that sweet little Easton. Love all his expressions.
Phyllis from Oregon
You are truly blessed with beautiful grandchildren. We've got the same temps you have, and you're probably right about your farm being in a little polar vortex of it's own - Our previous farm is just a few miles up the road, and the snow lasts longer up there than down here on the "new" old farm. Sometimes we don't even get snow, and our previous farm does. Go figure.

Rain said…
Hi Bev :) Lovely post today, I really enjoy reading about the animals. Oh the kitties...we have a terrible feral cat problem here in this village and I feel SO terrible for them. We opened up our shed door in the fall and wedged it so that it stayed open all winter. We know some cats are living in there because we see the little tracks. Great that you rescued them.

Funny enough, I made the choice this year to love winter too. We get it from October through to May and I used to be miserable with cabin fever and chills...but now I'm embracing it. Can't beat it so I'm joining it! :)