Monday, December 29, 2008

Winter Serenity

It has been months since I have felt compelled to share but the last snowfall and being home alone seemed to have done the trick.

The guys left my daughter and I home alone while they went to upstate New York to snowmobile. We were virtually snowed in as I could not get the snowblower started and the snow on the driveway was way to heavy to shovel, thanks to the rain that fell inbetween the bands of snow. So we decided to go out and play and enjoy our property instead. It was so quiet and peaceful, it reminded me again why I love this time of year so much. My father and I used to go out on winter evenings, shovel and clean snow and then just go for a walk, listen to the snow squeak beneath our boots, the falling flakes and the distant sounds of others doing the same. My father taught me to enjoy these simple things, something I will pass on down to my children, the beauty of Nature!

We grabbed the camera as mother and daughter went off to do our daily barn "chores", I call them chores but it is really a labor of love. There are very few places I would rather be than in a barn feeding and cleaning stalls! Call me crazy!!!

My beloved hay burner Abby. My best friend since I was 14 (that's only a "few" years ago). We have been through the loss of friends, college (yes, she went with me) and too many other challenges in life to even mention. She has been one of the few constants in my life. A true friend I can always count on! I love you girl!
The twin Black Walnut trees that proudly stand along the cornfield and provide bountiful harvests every year. We do not eat them, however I do collect them and make a stain for my baskets.










This is one of the old outbuildings on the farm. It used to house some of the horse drawn farm equipment and the work harnesses. It has pigeon coops/nesting boxes in the loft and perches and holes for the birds in the rear. Sadly it is slowly sliding off the stone foundation and unless we do something with it in the near future, it may be lost.



This is the old Spring House. Even in the worse droughts, this never runs dry. We have used the water out of it during power outages to flush toilets and such. Old Mrs. Moore used to store her eggs and the spring water she sold inside here with a money jar. Everyone around would come and take what they wanted and leave their money in the jar. When she passed, it was said she had a secret bank account with thousands in it, she never told anyone she was squirreling the money away! Crafty little lady, wich I had the chance to meet her.




My youngest's first snowman. We had to go inside after this and watch Frosty and drink hot chocolate together. She had a ball!