Scenes from the Farm in Winter

These were taken before the 18 inches of snow that fell the other day, so you can actually see the ground, but the scene is still basically the same - white, with scattered critters. We're all definitely starting to dream of spring!

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The creek in winter

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Asher at the Creek

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Isaiah, finding material to repair our (very primitive) footbridge

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Hauling wood is a daily chore. When the snow is falling hard, my fuzzy, frosty spouse looks vaguely like a yeti after a few loads ;-).

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With all this weather, it is good thing all the stuff in the root cellar is still holding up! At least we don't have to worry about shopping between storms!

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Ducks in the Snow!

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I bet you didn't know that goats could smile at you, did you? Well, Calendula says "hi!"

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Mina the Milk Truck and her daughter Poppy come out and check things out.

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I do not fear winter! I am Jessie the snow goat!

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Maia and her girls, Marshmallow and Licorice, however, see absolutely no reason to go out in the nasty snow when they could stay in the nice cozy barn. They are fairly sure their server will be by with another flake of hay any minute.

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Toasted Marshmallow the rooster says "Come back soon! Bring snacks!"

More like this

is that gray/dark beard split natural? if so, cool.

Yup, wholly natural - and I think it is pretty cool too!

Sharon

OMY goodness that is goat cuteness! LOVE the pics!

Wonderful pictures!

By George Franklin (not verified) on 03 Feb 2011 #permalink

What impresses me most is the contented look on every person and beast.

Wow.

By Stephen B. (not verified) on 03 Feb 2011 #permalink

Wow, that is a metric ton of cute from Calendula. Trust me, keep posting cute goat pics, and you'll see a traffic uptick. :)

By DerelictHat (not verified) on 03 Feb 2011 #permalink

Wow. Global warming in flake format. Hurry Tell Al Gore

By Climate changd… (not verified) on 03 Feb 2011 #permalink

Hey, denier, do you realize that the Arctic right now has above-normal temperatures? So do many other parts of the world. Do you realize that 2010 was the warmest year on record, even beating out 1999?

Just because it's cold and snowy in upstate NY right now doesn't mean global warming isn't real. It's a GLOBAL phenomenon after all.

@denier: Warmer air is able to hold more water, so snowstorms will become more frequent/severe in certain areas of the U.S. as the overall climate warms (exactly where is determined by air currents, among other factors). Weather that's localized both in time and space, as Don says, is not useful in determining long-term climate trends.

If you would like to know more about global climate change, feel free to try the following blog, which is written by some truly awesome scientists:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/05/start-here/

By Annabelle (not verified) on 03 Feb 2011 #permalink

Can you say "weather" and then ask yourself why we don't use the word "climate" as a synonym?

Sharon

Lovely photos!

Gorgeous photos. I see you, too are still knee deep in winter!

It does seem like every story that has images of snow, mentions cold weather, etc., does bring out people who deny climate change. Here is one of the funniest (though just a touch unpc) rebuttals to people who seize on a photo of snow and decide as a result that climate change must not exist...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f6Z0_HMLo8

Wow, those baskets look to my untutored eyes like a TON of apples and onions. Would it be too much to ask what a full root cellar for your family looks like overall?

A lot. Remember there are six of us, and this is our primary source of food (root cellared, preserved, bulk) - and it represents an approximate year's supply - ie, there won't be any more potatoes until the new ones are dug in late June, we'll switch to scallions when all the onions sprout, etc... Also my kids eat approximately their weight in apples daily (ok, maybe not quite, but it seems that way). For our family of six, we usually go through 300lbs of potatoes, the same of onions, and 15 bushels of apples. And we'll run out of apples. A lesser quantity of carrots (I have terrible carrot soil, but there's a carrot farm down in the valley, so I buy those in bulk), parsnips, celery root, quinces, pears, beets, turnips, rutabagas, parsley root, jerusalem artichokes, etc...

Sharon

Sharon - Could you spare a pound of Jerusalem artichoke tubers? I've been trying to find them for planting and can't find a commercial source who will ship NOW. If we wait until they ship in May, it will be too hot to establish them.

Will pay postage and send you mesquite-smoked serrano chilis for your spice collection. Smoky and warm flavor to BBQ sauces and anything else you put it in.

By Tsu Dho Nimh (not verified) on 09 Feb 2011 #permalink