First Snow 2014

When Our Sweetie was living with us I got up at five in the morning to get up and get showered before she woke up. I am usually up before the rest of the family. This is how my hubby remembers this day:

I pounce on the bed yelling hysterically "Honey...Kids! UP?...SNOW!"

That is not what happened.

The first snow usually is wet and is gone by 9am. It was 6 in the morning, both kids were up, and I decided that now was the best time to get them out, because later the snow would be mud. I had the kids mostly dressed and I went into the bedroom and calmly and quietly asked Jason if he'd like to get up and join us outside in the snow.

He did eventually come out with us and he forgave me for waking him up so early in the morning.

Our Sweetie was the first kid I have ever seen to crawl in the snow. She was undaunted by the cold white stuff on the ground and just kept on motoring! 

The above photos were adjusted for the low light. The photo below is not. We were out so early that the sun had not completly risen and the world was slightly blue.

"Blizzard" 2015

A mighty stormed rolled through yesterday. It started early in the morning and by bedtime it wasn't quite finished. We recieved about a foot of snow, but when it "fell" it came in horizontally as the winds did not relent all day long. Yesterday it was impossible to get out and enjoy even a few moments of the snow due to the wind. Today some friends came over and we got to climb around in the drifts. 

The littlest one kept doing belly flops into the snow, she could barely move! Unfortunately for our brave mites the snow was not good for fort building, sledding, snow men, or climbing. Fortunately for the ones having to shovel the snow it is light and fluffy.

More storms are expected Friday and Sunday, I guess winter is back!

Like a Lion

"March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb", that's what the old proverb says. I am hoping that it is true. About a foot fell over the past twenty-four hours. The snow covers most of the blueberry bushes and the five foot fence. We didn't last long outside. The snow is too deep and fluffy to do much with it and the wind turned our cheeks rosy. Stomper got a kick out of touching the roof of the house. The snow falling off the roof has made quite a pile.

Saturday we are hosting an Open House at the Farm. If you live local, stop by!

Snow

I snuck these photos of Stomper playing with Grandma through the window of the kitchen. The window you can see him standing in is at least four feet off the ground, probably more. Some of the snow is from off the roof. Its a lot of snow. The five foot picketed fence is buried and we can step over the five foot turkey fence easily.

Every time I send him out to play with the school kids he fights me. Every time. In the third photo I put my cowl on him and told him "I am wrapping you in this, its like I'm wrapping you up in my love and I will be out there with you." He still continued to cry while I dressed him, so my ploy didn't work. However, the next time he went out while our Sweetie and I had an appointment I was told  he insisted on wearing it again, so maybe he liked the thought of me being with him after all. Who knows? I certainly can't figure him out. It should be noted that he ALSO fights coming back inside. I think he just hates getting dressed. I don't blame him, its a lot of bulk!

We are trying to enjoy the snow, but wouldn't hate the spring if it came a bit early.

White Blanket

When we went to bed last night it was snowing. When we woke up this morning we were greeted with a small layer of snow on the ground. It's just enough snow to make things messy while driving, delay school, make snowballs for the dog to chase, and build a few snowmen. Its pretty much the best way to start the morning. 

Today Jason took the day off to process the broilers and the layers. The broilers have reached their full size and so today he will process all twenty-two of them. It has been a short nine weeks with these chickens. At times it's been a little rough raising them in the cold of the fall. A few times when we've gone down to tend them they've been a little chilly and we've needed to add more warming lights for them. 

We are culling over half our laying flock today too. They aren't keeping up their end of the bargain, by laying enough eggs to pay for their grain. We will keep the seven hens we bought this year in addition to Charcoal the Rooster, and Twig the Broody Hen. In the spring we will purchase more laying hens. 

We are keeping Twig in hopes that she will raise the new chicks for us. We have a neighbor who let their hen sit on a bunch of eggs for the appropriate amount of weeks, and then slipped day old chicks under her. She then raised the chicks herself. If that works than we can do the same thing with her and broilers too and raise meat birds any time of the year.

The ducks don't mind the snow. This is their second year with snow. They waddle around the barnyard looking for scraps and morsels. There isn't much for them to eat under the snow, but they persist. It's quite entertaining to watch them dig in the snow with their bills.

In addition to all the chicken processing Jason's Dad hit a small deer with his truck on Friday. The deer is hanging in our garage waiting to be made into ground venison. Looks like the freezer is going to be full this winter. God certainly provides!

White and Blue

Woke up on Wednesday to a world covered in fifteen inches of new snow.

The next day (Thursday) the morning was bright and the sky a brilliant blue.

I attempted to photograph the beauty of winter, but sometimes words

and pictures don't do it justice.

Outside With Mommy

This is a photo heavy post, mostly because I just couldn't weed them out. We had so much fun playing outside just the two of us! I am looking forward to summer when we can spend lots and lots of days like this!

Today Outside

Mommy Ninja

wearing :: Slouchy Beret and Mira's Cowl

The next series of pictures is what happens when you challenge a two year old, a three year old, and a four year old to squeeze into a mostly buried cozy coupe.