White Groundhog Day

We woke up to 7 unexpected inches of snow. This is especially weird because before this winter, I don't think we've had much more than 7 total inches of snow any winter that we've lived here.

Here's our propane tank, which is thankfully holding propane. We had it filled just before the first blast of cold and before propane tripled in price.

And here's some snow. It is oddly sideways everywhere. There is 4 inches of snow sticking off the side of every tree branch and sturdy weed around. How does that happen?

Proof of deepness:

My fingers are delighted that gloves are not necessary today with the temperature being an entire 25F on the plus side, rather than 25F on the negative.

'Til next time...

Winter Prep

It has been getting colder at night and we've all be preparing for the long winter. Wool socks have been washed:

Corrie and Sugar Pie are practicing snuggling for body warmth:

And squirrels are stashing walnuts in our woodshed:

In trees:

And on fence posts:

Totally secure. This must be a very trusting squirrel.

Frosty Fall Morning

Lots of work was done around here this week, and I was going to tell you all about the wood hauling, garage cleaning and beer making (and smoke detector battery changing - change your batteries when you change  your clocks!), but when I went out to wake up the animals this morning everything was frosty and foggy. I thought you'd like to see that more than you'd like to see piles of wood, or de-walnut-shell-ified garage floors.

Martha, being dignified:

Rose has recently decided that people aren't all that bad and she'll now eat grain from  my hand, chew on my coat, and stare at me as if to say "why is there no grain in your hand?"

Kaylee started climbing on the straw bales again this week. Her ability to reliably climb was the last sign we were waiting to see for her full recovery. She's still a bit smaller than Saffron, but watching her jump on top of the Barn Mountain warms my heart.

Group shot! Everyone says "Good Morning."

"Now, feed us grain, Woman!"

Most drab clothesline ever

But, here's what is in bloom tonight to make up for it:

Fencing!

Bill recently installed 400 yards of woven wire field fencing around our pasture.

It was hard work that took him two full days and left him looking like this:

But now all of this:


and this:

...is the free-running range of Sugar Pie - at least until the turkeys come. After some barn repairs it may be the home to sheep and/or goats as well.

Freezing fog

Ever heard of it? I had no idea until this winter and we sure are getting lots of it now.

It's just what it sounds like....water droplets from fog, freezing on surfaces.

It's the same stuff that forms in freezers. It makes everything white.


Everything.


And it sure is pretty.


It's been a treat waking up to frozen fog covered trees all week.


Usually, it is accompanied by clear skies that are bluer than blue.


As it warms up, the ice crystals start falling from the trees. It looks like its snowing, but the sky is incredibly blue. Very trippy.


Speaking of trips...we had a lovely day in Cincinnati last weekend. We stopped at Jungle Jim's for hot sauce and micro brews, had Chipotle for lunch, and watched Syracuse beat Cincy in a good game. We got to sit with Orange fans from all over the Midwest, including a gentleman who played with Boeheim and regaled us with stories of the old days.


And, here are some unrelated socks.

Large things from the garden

With the sad failure of our tomatoes this year, we placed all our garden hope in winter squash. We harvested today and weren't disappointed. We've got enough acorns, carnival and butternuts to keep us in squash soup or squash risotto though the winter.

We've also got enough pumpkins to bury ourselves in pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin gruyere gratin, pumpkin jam, pumpkin pie and pumpkin shrimp (?) until.....forever.

This is the haul after we gave away 5 large pumpkins!

Our coreopsis did really well too.

100% un-fooled-around with

Bill took these photos two nights ago as a storm approached near sunset. The entire world turned orange.

I cowered in the living room with the storm radio. Gotta love the midwest in the spring.