Despite the polar vortex and its baby brother freezing us, we have still managed to enjoy winter. When we're sweltering in July, we'll look back at these photos with longing!
On a frosty January morning, the sun barely brushes the fringe of trees across the back of the property by 9:30 a.m., and the animals wait for it to warm their backs.
Several mornings in a row, the unmolested can of cat food in the feed area shows that I have at long last managed to outsmart the raccoon that's been devouring our cat food for weeks. Even with a concrete block so heavy that I could hardly lift it, this sly coon has managed to tip over a large garbage can, pull the lid off, crawl in past the block, and tear out the bottom of the bag to steal cat food!
A small garbage can and some rubber bungie cords were all it took for me to outsmart that rascally raccoon!
A friend came to visit and braved the cold to watch me milk two mornings in a row. The first day, touching Macree made her smile, and by the second day she was ready to take charge of Macree while I snapped this photo.
The grandkids finally got well after a long bout of winter ailments, and we celebrated a belated Christmas with them. Didi hung their new swing, and they enjoyed trying it out in the afternoon sun.
And so the winter passes . . . morning, afternoon and evening . . . one day at a time until one day frost and brown will be replaced by sun and the first green flush of growing things. But until then we take each day as it comes, each with its share of winter blessing.
A small garbage can and some rubber bungie cords were all it took for me to outsmart that rascally raccoon!
"How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside—
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown—
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!"
Robert Louis Stevenson,
A Child's Garden of Verses
Enjoying a breath-taking sunset like this one reminds me, oddly enough, of a verse about morning:
"The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23
Ahhh, sister dear, what a beautiful post! I love that poem, too! A truly encouraging post about winter. . .which I find too long sometimes! Winter, that is, not your post! :)
ReplyDeleteBarbara
You're so funny, Barbara! Thank you for clarifying, though. :) I, too, sometimes find winter too long, which is why I did this post. My ideal year would be 5 months of spring, 5 months of autumn, one month of summer and one of winter!
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