SNOW!!

At last, winter has decided to come to Vermont! Snow is usually not a novelty in Vermont. It can be found on the ground from about the first of November until as late as mid April. On the average winter, our farm has at least 4 or 5 feet of snow on the ground for several months, but this winter has been different. Every snow storm that has marched across the US has missed our little northern farm and instead hit all of my unsuspecting relatives in North Carolina. Sometime in late December, we got just enough snow to say we had a "white Christmas" and then spurts of an inch here or there kept the ground fairly white. However, the past couple of weeks, the unusual above freezing temperatures began to melt away that tiny bit of snow and the bare ground began to take over.


My husband was beginning to get used to this snowless winter. Thus far, he has only run our snow blower one time. He has not had late nights outside in the dark with the cold and snow pelting his face as he cleared our driveway. (Sorry dear, but tonight you will have to bring the snow blower out of the barn.) We are in the midst of our first snow storm for the season. This morning there must be 18 inches of new snow on the ground and it is still falling. The sheep woke to a blanket of snow on their backs.


Chore time was a little more difficult than it has been. Hauling hay and water are much more difficult when wading through deep snow. Even Bob and Cairo our two rams had trouble wading through to get to their hay this morning. But we are not complaining....we have missed not having snow and are thrilled to have it here!

Visions of Fiber Studios

I have finally convinced my husband to let me take over his workshop in the barn! (Thank you!) He has finally seen my vision for a yarn shop and fiber studio. I am not sure what made the light bulb go off in his mind. Perhaps it is because our bedroom has been over run with fiber and yarn or because our living room sofa has been replaced with spinning wheels and looms or maybe because the closet that used to be the pantry is now full of dye pots, dyes, and yet more yarn. But whatever the reason, he has agreed to move his things over into what used to be a milking parlor 75 years ago and let me have the insulated, heated room in the barn. This week we have been clearing out my husband's tools, setting up his workshop, and getting the space ready for the next phase of renovation. Now I lay in bed at night with visions of studios and studio names dancing in my head. Why don't you join me and help me think of a great name for our new studio and yarn shop?!

So What's All the Fuss About Opera?

My 17 year old daughter has fallen in love with opera. It was nine months ago that she and I made a trip to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City to see a Wagner production. As an added bonus to our trip, the Met Book Store had an opera singer there signing CD covers and books. I had never heard of this singer before, but it was evident that he had a large following of fans.

We arrived at the book store early in order to get in line to enter. We spent the next two hours or more waiting in a line which meandered its way in and out of the aisles of the store. It was so crowded that I was not able to get a peek at this famous opera singer whom I was about to meet. Mostly women were waiting in line, all quite giddy and excited. I avoided eye contact with any of them as much as possible. I feared they would ask me about this mysterious singer and had I seen this opera or that opera. Little did they know that I hadn't a clue who was at the end of the line and this was my very first opera and I wasn't even sure I liked opera!

One woman did catch my eye and immediately began in conversation. She looked at my daughter and said, "Oh you poor thing. I see your mother has dragged you along to the opera." Emily and I looked at one another and laughed. Emily told her that actually, it was the other way around and that she had dragged me along. The woman was amazed and the two of them spent the rest of our wait talking about the various operas they had seen.

As we got closer to the end of the line, the women in front of us began primping, adjusting their scarves, freshening their make-up and fixing their hair. They were giddy as though they were meeting their date for prom night. I was asked to take pictures of them with the singer and so held numerous cameras. At last our turn came and I finally got a glimpse of who I had been waiting to see. He was a very polite and handsome man. Though he must have already written his name several hundred times, he was so pleasant and chatted with each person as though he had known them all his life. I was speechless and just stood with my cameras taking pictures of my daughter next to him. After all, what do you say to someone who you know nothing about.

For my birthday, Emily wanted to take me to see an opera. So, this past weekend, nine months later, I finally understand what these women were all giddy about. Emily took me to the HD live broadcast of the opera Simon Boccanegra starring Placido Domingo, the opera singer whom I had stood in line to meet. Now I was watching him perform alongside his colleague of forty years, James Morris with James Levine at the podium conducting. I found myself enthralled at the performance, and I pondered the passion which these singers poured out on stage. Their performances were compelling and memorable.

After the performance, the audience in the theater lingered and clapped until the very last credit had rolled by on the large screen as if savoring the moment. I just wanted to stand up and yell out, "Hey everybody! I've met Placido Domingo in person! I have his autograph!" But I decided that perhaps that wasn't the right time to make that announcement. So next time, I will just wear a t-shirt that says, "I have met Placido!" At last, I am beginning to understand all the fuss about opera!

There is always something special about having your child introduce you, the parent, to something new. It is somewhat of a role reversal. What a pleasure to watch your child grow up and develop their own interests and then share them with you. Thanks Em for a wonderful birthday gift!

Time to Order Chicks for Spring

Chickens have been on my mind all week. It is time to call in my order for chicks. We order a heritage breed from a small family hatchery in Pennsylvania. If you do not call them months in advance, they will have sold out.

Every summer we raise our own organic chickens for meat. If I plan our menus well, we will have chicken until June. We always raise extra chickens for friends and neighbors. Let me know if you would like to purchase any of our organic chickens!! It is not too late to place an order.

We raise our chickens on pasture. They are rotated through whatever pasture is in need of nourishment. Within weeks of moving the chickens off, the grass is a lush green. Electric netting keeps the chicks in and hopefully the predators out. Though we have a resident fox whose den is on the edge of our pasture, we usually only lose one meat bird a year to the fox. The pictures show us moving the chicks to a new pasture last summer.

We try to grow as much of our food as possible. Our garden and greenhouse provide us with fresh produce all summer and into the fall. Many hours are spent harvesting vegetables and preparing them for storage. I have a nice large upright freezer which holds most of our produce. However, pickles, salsa, and relish are canned for the winter months.

There is nothing more satisfying than eating a meal in the middle of winter that is totally grown on your own land. Last evening our entire meal came from our own farm with roasted chicken and potatoes, and peas. Tonight, I took the leftover chicken and made "Chicken Pie" again pulling vegetables from our freezer. The only item not grown here is the flour I used to make the biscuits.

On Monday, I will call my order in for chicks.

This is the time of year when the sheep and goats get what I call "wool blind". With shearing only a month away, their fleeces are quite long. The wool around their faces often grows so long that it inhibits their ability to see.Today I went out with scissors to trim the wool from the goat's faces. Charlotte went first.Valentine stood close by to be sure that I was careful as I trimmed.

When it was all done, Charlotte looked up at me as if to say, "Thank you, I can see now!"