News from the (frozen) farm

Well, it is cold here. Normally temperatures this time of year are in the mid-40's. Today it was less than 20 when I checked. It rarely freezes here, a light frost is noteworthy but today the feeders are frozen and the spigot that supplies the livestock waterer hoses are likewise frozen. Our electricity has been inconsistent (and with it our water supply due to the well pump being electric and our telephone, being cordless).

I know that others are much, much colder, but we simply are not well prepared. Some of my children do not even own socks, as they eschew "regular" shoes in favor of sandals and other slip-on type shoes! When we had goat shelters in the past the goats preferred the shelter of the treeline so when we moved the goat pen we opted not to even erect permanent shelters (although building them was actually on the agenda for this Spring). The goats actually seem to be coping perfectly fine, as do the chickens, ducks, hogs and horses. The rabbits are all cozy in their shelter. We are nailing blankets in front of the drafty windows and have soup simmering on the stove top and cornbread in the oven and for the first time in a long time I am not having to coerce the girls to help me keep laundry rotated as they are appreciating the added warmth that they are bringing to a normally much colder part of the house! Snow is projected for Thursday through Friday but interestingly enough it should be nice for the weekend's markets before turning frigid again on Monday.

In other farm news--Dixie has her first bumped forehead. Her brother (Noah, age six) decided that that she looked lonely as she played happily on the floor on a blanket so in the two minutes it took me to step into the hall to call someone he picked her up and put her on the couch next to him. You know what is coming, right? Headfirst onto the floor. Thankfully 1)the couch is short and 2)the floor is laminate with a good bit of give. It didn't even take nursing to placate her, just a kiss and snuggle but hopefully the small red bump will prove instructional for Noah that mom really means it when she says that he is not allowed to pick up his sister!

We have one more goat that is due to deliver imminently, then we wait until Valentines day for the new goats from New York to start delivering. In low production seasons like this it is hard to remember that we really do have seasons of abundance.

Linnea has been busy in her garden--harvesting lots of greens and cabbage and lettuce and starting seeds for everything from peas and carrots and beans--oh and she is planning to grow potatoes this year. Next on the agenda, learning to can the bounty!

We were recently able to add some small notebooks for use by the children for school. I have always been philosophically opposed to anything but one-on-one tutoring but we have recently started utilizing more online studies and supplements such as educational games thanks in part to working with the This Old Schoolhouse Review Crew. We have found such options to be a good way to expand our time and skills while still maintaining the individual time and give and take that we have used for years. You might say it is the best of all worlds.

Lots of de-cluttering going on here. It seems to be a Spring routine every other year, the year AFTER each baby is born! I am enjoying seeing the house again without the stuff that accumulates. Tim is not as thrilled as the cleared spaces make it clear that we need to do some painting and other such home maintenance.

All in all, life is good. And looks to be getting better. All because God is good.