Between the Holidays

The ups and downs of the holidays are being matched by the up and down of the thermometer these days! It is bitter cold today in the wind and up here on the side of our hill. The horse and donkey are hanging out in their shed to have a windbreak and the pigs are resting inside the barn in the hay in the sunshine to soak up all the warmth they can. Yesterday Alan and Colin let the cows into the south shed to be out of the wind last night as they were wet from the snow and when the temperature started dropping and the wind picked up you just know it was going to be cold, cold, cold. After the warmth of the last week and the rain (which ruined all the snow that we had), our feeling of being acclimated was spoiled. Now we are wearing long johns and lined pants and about three shirts but chores are also abbreviated in the winter when you don't have to worry so much about the fencing, where to move the herd next, herd check for new calves and many other grazing season tasks. These last few days of the year you don't really want to work hard but there is always lots to do and catch up on. As a matter of fact, thanks to Colin for offering to attend both farmer's' markets this first January weekend, Alan and I had a whole day of chores only and then sleeping, reading, resting, brushing the dogs and doing nothing! We even were able to warm the turkey soup and not even cook! Nice change for the new year start.

Now a day later, we have 6 more inches of snow on top of the first 6 from Friday/Saturday. It is a lovely light, fluffy and fun to run through kicking up a wake snow. I had my new Christmas sled out for a run down the pasture and the dogs were joyfully running along beside me. My eyes got really big once when I really got going and I wasn't sure what lumps were under the surface to whack me good! Luckily the sled is a pretty hefty thickness. The skiers, snowshoers, sledders should all be thrilled with this lovely bonanza. The softness of the snow absorbs the sounds too and so it can be sooo quiet except for chickadees and an occasional snowplow far off on the main road. It is stilling snowing lightly. It seems like all outside is black, white and brown shades.

New free time in the next few months should offer us a time of planning and organization. Both Alan and I struggle with how to manage so many different topics. It seems hard to keep them up to date and not end up with multiple piles of paperwork all over your desk. We'll be working on trying different methods to stay ahead of the clutter and stay on top of the tasks at hand. I guess many of you also know the small business/organization blues of too much to do, and you do have to do it all and there are too few hands to make it all happen as you'd like it to be done. We are even ready to create a written strategic plan that is not just floating around in Alan's head and my head in different perspective versions. It is a little unbelievable when we realize how much we have accomplished in these last years of "making the farm self-sustainable" with few written procedures about anything - we would rather just do it. So a new decade and a new aspect to the business of farming.

Like ours, we hope your New Year is looking positive with opportunities for change, improvement, organization, and in January usually more exercise too. We resolve to better show our gratitude to our families, our friends, and our beautiful inspiring surroundings. Let the new decade begin! With many thanks for being part of our lives, Nancy and Alan