She’s here

For the most part Winter has been pretty mild on the farm. It snowed liked heck back on Halloween but other then that it’s been another year of mud. Rain and mud. More mud, then some rain.

Then it might get cold and the ground stiffen up for a day but a few days later it would be above freezing again and we’d be back to sloppy mud.

However this past Friday Winter showed up, not in the form of snow but a couple flurries, sleet and ice, a small flood and then a deep freeze.

She through open the door with 45mph wind gusts and proudly announced with a howl I’m here!!

When the wind chill is below 0 livestock chores take much, much longer. Since I’m away at the office so much these days Tom handles my animals so the weekends mean extra snuggles and catching up, assessing the flocks and bucket calves, playing with the kittens, and addressing any issues.

I was glad I was able to be on the farm to help lighten Tom’s load a little for a couple days. This cold snap meant extra clothes bogging us down and a hammer & sledge hammer for breaking ice. Not every single waterer is heated so we worked up a good sweat making sure everyone had feed and fresh water.

And the flocks were able to provide extra treats for themselves as well.

I’ve spent a lot of time this past week thinking about numbers, finances and tax forms nonstop of course, but as I’ve been commuting back and forth for hours in the darkness I’ve also been thinking about WHO I answer to at the end of every day.

There’s only ONE individual I will have to answer to at the end of my life here on earth.

It’s something I think about much more frequently as I’ve aged and grown older. I’ve really started surveying what path I’m trying to following and who I’m interacting with.

Those people are what truly matters.

Some day I hope when my journey here ends I will open my eyes to the most majestic sight I have ever seen and at the exact same time hear the words:

She’s here!