mid December

With a trace, a dusting, nearly an inch of snow every day, it's looking wintry here. Some high winds earlier in the week and very cold temperatures had me worrying after the chickens. They seem to have taken it in stride, safely tucked away from the winds inside their unheated but well insulated house. They aren't tempted to wander about outside these days, and so we keep their doors firmly closed against the ridge top gales.
After tomorrow,  a bit of a warm up and some sun! are predicted before the next chance of snow by week's end. Wintry weather this December! And very little sun. Sometimes the only sun we see is at its rising (here amid flurries)

 or setting.

Yesterday, braving the cold and wind and with no sun to warm us, Anne, Jerome and I trekked across our road to our "other" property and cut a little red wagon load of greens, sumac heads, milkweed pods, and this and that to fill the urns at the front porch and for Anne to build a swag for her little house. While hiking in the snowy wildness there we kept an eye out for baby pines. And we spied lots! We'll have to go back and tie some bright red ribbons on them so they can be found come spring.  They'll be hard to spot once the vegetation begins to grow again and we would dearly love to bring them to the new bit of land we added to the farm last May so they'll have room to grow and grow.

Always have to stop in the middle of things and look at the camera while Jerome is taking photos.  I have to say this is one time I was happy to oblige.

Can you see the joy in our faces for sharing such a day??