On New Year’s Day, we woke up to snow. We don’t get a lot of snowy days around here, so it was a lovely way to start out the new year. We expected it to melt off by the afternoon, but in a very unusual turn of events for western Oregon, the snow is still here! The temperatures have remained below freezing for almost a week now, and everything, including the New Year’s snow, is frozen in place.
The homestead is really beautiful covered in a blanket of snow, but with every day it stays around, the novelty is wearing off and the ice is accumulating. Fortunately, Corey had stockpiled a lot of madrona and maple firewood, so the farmhouse is staying warm and toasty.
When this is the sight that greets you looking out your front steps, it makes the idea of staying inside by the woodstove very appealing.
One of my favorite things about snow days is looking at the tracks of where everyone has been. The cats make these short trails from one non-snow spot to another, and pretty immediately hightail it back into the house to be close to that woodstove. It’s a popular place in a cold snap.
The chickens have traditionally stayed in the coop on snowy days, but they finally decided to venture out by day 3.
The wild birds have been doing what appear to be little dances in the front yard. I would have loved to spy on them and see what was going on there.
As we move forward into the new year with these snowy, frozen days, it’s a good time to reflect on the past year’s progress and get organized for the work to come. As my life is getting more settled, the world around us seems to be getting more un-settled, and I’ve got a couple of teenagers getting closer to making their way out into it. I feel that I have a responsibility not only to prepare them for that world, but to do whatever small part I can to improve that world for them. Stewardship is bigger than just the piece of land we live on. There is always work to be done, but this year is looking like it will require some collective efforts in addition to my personal ones. I’m ready to put my shoulder to the wheel.
See you at the Women’s March on the 21st, and Happy New Year!
And a happy new year to you. Your home looks very beautiful dresses in a coat of white. Here we have no snow atall and that is pretty unusual. I am holding my breath, enjoying not having to dig my car out every day. I think my husband misses driving the plough though, you know, men and their toys ?. I too think a lot about the uncertainty in the world and having to send my children out into it. I believe it is enormously important for them to have a stable home to come back to, a safe harbour so to speak. We have just seen our daughter off to University again, her bags full of extras and christmas cookies. Her tummy full of home cooking and her heart full of hugs. Blessings,Pam in Norway
Thank you Pam! Sorry it took me so long to reply to your comment, I have been busy moving my blog over to WordPress and wasn’t able to find my recent comments until now. I loved hearing about you sending your daughter off to University again after the holidays, and it is very true, a safe harbor to come back to is so important for them. Your daughter is very lucky. Blessings and enjoy this new year!