And Then the Sun Came Out

Well, it has been a very long time since the author of this blog has posted anything at all. Being called to task for it, I have decided no procrastinate no longer, though I don't have any pictures to put on at the moment. We are still here, and it is no longer snowing. We did have a frost the night before last, but we are hoping it will be the last one until fall.

Yesterday we started planting our garden. It was supposed to have been smaller this year, but when it came time to till, Jason brought over the tractor instead of firing up the rototiller. Now the garden is three times the size it was last year! We plan to fill a lot of the space with gourds and pumpkins, though. Yesterday we planted a zillion sweet corn seeds, 39 tomato plants, three rows of onion sets, and a dozen sweet pepper plants.

I would write more, but I have to go outside and plant more seeds in the dirt. Today, after yesterday's experience, I have decided to wear sunscreen. (That is for you, Lisa!)

Teamwork and Snowshoes

Yesterday, the boys went out and dug a tunnel through a big pile of snow the skidsteer had made. It is kind of a special tunnel, because you climb up, slide through, and end up sliding down about six feet on the other side. If you used a sled, you could probably go all the way down the hill and end up in the creek. They haven't tried that (yet).

I am also including a picture of myself in my new snowshoes, a birthday present that I am very excited about. They represent a way to get out for some quiet and exercise when the roads are too dangerous and there is snow on the ground. Fun!

Snow Again?

As tedious as it may be to read post after post on the subject of snow, it is not tedious to me to take the pictures. I love snow! Don't snort at me. Everyone snorts and says, "just wait...", but I prefer to enjoy enjoying it, rather than spending my time just waiting until I hate it. These pictures are a bit old, and the snow level has now reached the bottom of the mailboxes, but you get the idea. (The cat is Dove.)

Girl Power!

Recently, we girls had to start chores all alone because the boys were off doing a tile job. Here are some pictures of the ladies getting the job done! The girls really enjoy the see-saw up in the hay mow, too. That's Amanda climbing up the ladder to the loft, and Rachel mugging with her favorite bovines. I took the snow picture on our way over to the barn.

It's So Cold!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe this one is worth a little less, since it does not show the blistering wind or the driving snow. I took this about two hours after sunrise, after a night when the low temp. was supposed to have been about -14 degrees. It is so cold!

There was a partially frozen towel on the kitchen floor this morning, and the snow is blowing around in the mudroom like sand in a sandstorm. We have blankets and mismatched curtains hanging over the windows to keep out the drafts. Last night, I grasped the handle of the barn door when my hand was wet. (Life lesson: don't grab metal things with wet hands when it is this cold out!)

It is not any colder than usual in the barn, though. In fact, the ventilation fans still have to run. They are controlled by thermostat, so we know it is getting over 50 degrees or so in there. At least the cows are warm! I am really, really glad the barn stays warm, as we do a lot of work that gets our hands wet in there. Maybe we should bring some cows into the house as heaters. The only thing is that they produce more than just heat, if you know what I mean.

Jason had to grind feed yesterday. The tractor would not start because it was so cold, so they had to pull it with the other tractor (the one that plugs in) up and down the highway until it started. Today, Jason is out loading hay for his cousins to haul down to their cows. The wind chill is supposed to be between -25 and -35 degrees. He looks a little funny because of all the clothes he is wearing to try to insulate himself, but that doesn't matter. I just hope he can stay warm.

I think when we go out for chores, we will try throwing water into the air to see if it will freeze before it lands.

Katie's Knee

Little Katie burned her knee on the vaporizer. I had not realized how dangerous they can be. It was painful for her, and it took a while to get better, but now that it is almost completely healed, I decided to post the pictures of it along the way. The picture with the dark background was taken the day she got the burn. The one with the red dress was taken one week later, and the pink sweater picture was taken after two weeks. It does not seem to bother her at all anymore. Hopefully, a few months from now, I'll be able to show you pictures of her in cute summer dresses and you won't be able to see that she ever had a burn.

Merry Christmas, One at at Time

Here are those individual pictures. Better, I think...