It's Sunday as I sit here in front of a roaring fire, writing this blog post. Since we last chatted, we've experienced quite a range of temperatures here on the farm. At the present moment it is raining and cold. Jack and Forrest are out for the daily woods walk. Me? I opted out for today... preferring to stay here in front of the fire rather than getting soaked. Typically, I choose to go for a walk, no matter the weather. I might have been just a little spoiled by the walk I took on Friday.
Friday afternoon, our temperatures hit 65 degrees! I happily hiked the woods with the dogs for a good hour wearing just my jeans and short-sleeved shirt. It was heavenly... so liberating to go for a walk without the encumbrance of heavy layers of clothes.
The dogs and I spent a bit of time off the trails. I love combing the woods at this time of year - always hoping to find antler sheds. Although, the buck that I saw last week still had his antlers. I keep hoping that Forrest will find more as he runs, nose down, through the acreage. (He found a 4 pt. antler a little over a week ago.)
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| Jelly ears (fungi) |
I did find some unusual stalked puffball mushrooms on this particular hike.
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| Calostoma Ravenelii |
And a few more lovely specimens. I loved the shades of beiges and grey in these mushrooms found growing on a twig.
Years ago, I was completely oblivious to the variety of living organisms in our woods. Now I always keep my eyes peeled for any unusual colors or shapes that could end up being a new discovery for me. While inspecting the moss on a stump, I found these tiny stalks with pink caps on the end. They are Cladoniaceae fungi... characterized by their lichen-esque stalks.
With last week's rainfall, warm temperatures, and subsequent snow melt, there are a lot of puddles everywhere. It's just perfect for a dog who loves water as much as our Forrest.
It's useless even trying to keep him dry.
Water is a magnet... and with water comes mud.
Upon our arrival at home, Forrest has learned to stand very still while we dry him off. Needless to say, we use a lot of dog towels in a week's time!
It was a quiet weekend at home just enjoying the peace of midwinter. Besides the normal chores, ushering horses to and from the pasture, and walks in the woods - we just enjoyed the cozy ambience of home.
I spent a bit of time on Saturday trying to brush out as much of the dirt from the horses' coats as I could. It's a never-ending task to keep these equines clean at this time of year. Ollie often gets diarrhea in winter, making it difficult to keep his back-end and tail clean. He will be getting a half-bath on the next warm day.
Ginger emerged from her house after days of avoiding the snow. She spent most of Saturday on the other side of the dry lot fence, in the front pasture.
Ginger was uninterested in playing...
but instead asked for a belly rub.
Days are getting noticeably longer - kindling that little flame of anticipation that glows within our hearts as we look forward to spring. I am not hoping to rush the change of seasons, as I am enjoying the rest that winter gives to us. I love this cozy time of year, made even cozier with a hot kettle of homemade vegetable soup and some warm, crusty, sourdough bread. Saturday, I made this recipe. It's the time of year when nesting comes naturally, and home is a welcoming refuge from the ever-changing elements.
Sunday we had 10 around the table for farm breakfast. Local sausage, homegrown eggs, a variety of organic berries and a large pan of homemade cinnamon rolls were on the menu. I don't think anyone left hungry! These cinnamon rolls were made with my sourdough starter. This recipe is the best I have found! Her recipe has an extensive, easy "how - to" for those of you who may be just stepping into the world of sourdough.
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