Here Comes The Snow

Friday

 Although I describe sunny days with azure skies dotted with white, puffy, storybook clouds as though I am in love... I must admit to you that one of my favorite days is what others might call gloomy.

A grey sky made even darker by the presence of charcoal clouds stirs my soul and puts me in the most tranquil of moods.  The sky, with its heavily laden clouds, is ripe with the anticipation of some yet-to-be-seen precipitation - life-giving water that will eventually melt/seep into the layers of shale, slate, and limestone that lie beneath our soil...filling our subterranean reservoirs.  Today, the moody sky is a harbinger of the coming snowstorm.  Within days, life will slow to a crawl and the countryside will be magically transformed into a frozen wonderland.  A blanket of white will tuck everything and everyone into their respective resting spots.

We will enjoy the peace of the moment, knowing that in short order, life will go on and we will begin the process of digging out... first digging ourselves out of the house and then digging all of the animals out of theirs.  Winters, though beautiful, can be harsh and demanding.  They require grit and strength to endure here on the farm.  Luckily, snowstorms are few and far between. 

Today was bread-baking day.  It was our first attempt at making French baguettes.  I had mixed up the "pre-ferment" on Thursday, let it rise and then placed it in the refrigerator to mix in with today's dough.  A pre-ferment helps to give the bread a more complex, mature, "Old-World" taste and texture.  I used the recipe in my "Bread Baker's Apprentice" book. 

Several hours later... we had three fresh loaves.  

They weren't the prettiest loaves, I admit, but they were tasty - and went perfectly with the fresh French Onion soup that I made as well.  (Thank-you Anna, for the soup idea!!)

Saturday and Sunday

The calm before the snowstorm...  

The bitter cold of the previous days remained - so feeding and cleaning up manure were our primary focus. 

Sunday morning, when we reached the barn, the thermometer read:

Yes, that's below zero on the Fahrenheit side!  This bitter cold adds a wrinkle to chores.  Manure freezes and quickly becomes an immovable solid chunk of poop-ice!  The claw of a hammer is necessary as I clean up the dry lot on my hands and knees.  Second only to shoveling snow, this is the toughest of Winter's chores.  It's actually easier to clean up manure in the snow than it is on the ice.

I truly don't mind the work.  The backdrop is beautiful...

It's a peaceful time of day and I am bundled up in my warmest gear.

No matter how cold it gets, I never worry about our sheep.  Their wooly coat is several inches thick, providing plenty of warmth for whatever the temperature.  The natural lanolin within the wool helps to keep them waterproof.

Amazingly, everyone seems to weather the cold just fine.

 As I sit and write this on Sunday, the sun is shining and the temperature is creeping up into the teens.  The storm and snow is yet to arrive.

By the time you read this blog, we will have a much better idea how much snow we will be dealing with from last night's storm.  I'll bring you a snowy tale tomorrow!

PS:  To Wanda... sending hugs your way... along with lots of healing, positive energy and prayers!