Good Snowy Morning

    "Another part of the city life I found bewildering at first was how people constantly complained about the weather.  It was either too hot or too cold or too wet.  Even if it was extremely dry and the crops and gardens desperately needed moisture, the weatherman would say that the weekend would be miserable because of the threat of rain.  For me, coming from a culture that was so closely tied to the land and the weather and the rhythms of the seasons, their attitudes were absurd.  At home no one complained about the weather.  After all, God controlled everything, the sun, the clouds, the wind, and the rain.  Complaining was finding fault with God, we were told."

From the introduction to Scratching The Woodchuck: Nature on an Amish Farm by David Kline

 

Not much has changed since the mid 60's. It seems lots of people complain about the weather, even country folk. I enjoy the changes in weather; the snow, rain, storms, hot and cold.  However, my one complaint is extreme cold.  I most certainly am a summer girl.  However, if it is going to be cold anyway, bring on the beautiful snow. I think snow is God's way of decorating the naked trees and brown ground of winter.

 

Even when it is cold and snowy, and your eyes hurt to open because the snow is kissing them with its icy kiss, chores need to be done.  We gather the warmest bibs, coats, gloves, hats, and boots and head out.  Maybe, I need to grab sunglasses too.  The animals got'a eat.  Cuz, in this weather, they cannot feed themselves.

 

Good morning Annie!  She impatiently waits for hay and a bit of grain. 





One rogue chicken waits each morning to get in the coop for breakfast.  As soon as she finishes, she flies over the fence and back to her shenanigans.

The other chickens dare not step onto the snow.  They prefer to stay in the warm coop....

and eat breakfast.

This crew knows exactly where to find breakfast.  Nez is encouraging me to hurry up.  He is ready to eat.



 

A feast fit for sheep....and goats.  They love their morning hay.  But, if you really want to get them excited, pull out the grain bucket.  





Look at that big o'le baby belly.  We are expecting kids the first week of March. 

The goats always seem to find food, even with snow on the ground.  Our poor trees are getting beat up by Nez and the girls. 

Now, go out and enjoy the snow.  Make a snowman, build a fort.  Or, enjoy a warm glass of tea or coffee and sit by the window, whether it be at work or home, and take it the beautiful sights.  It will not last long.  Summer will be here before we know it. Off I go, to hunt down gloves for an eager six year old.

 

The book Scratching the Woodchuck: Nature on an Amish Farm is fantastic.  If you or your children enjoy nature, this is a great book to read together. By the way, it is not a children's book.  Children will enjoy reading it with you though. Older children could read it independently as a nature study. It takes place on a farm in Northeastern Ohio. The flora and fauna will be familiar to children who live in the midwest, specifically, Ohio.  I am excited to delve into this book with my children and their nature journals. I was hooked just reading the introduction.  Check out your local library.  They may have a copy there.