Last year we had our first snow on October 27th! It arrived with a bang, high winds took out our chimney and it snowed all day. So far the snow has stayed to the north of us, in fact, the grass is still green, even though we have had only a half inch of rain since September. An Indian Summer was much appreciated but low temperatures have been creeping up on us at night. Crystal clear, cold nights make for good sleeping and allowed us to enjoy the brilliance of Jupiter in close proximity to the moon. After living in large cities, the night sky is something I can never take for granted and, here on the northern prairies, we have a great deal of sky! Spectacular sunrises, breathtaking sunsets, a nightime sky crowded with stars, awe inspiring storms, winter-time sundogs; the sky dominates the Great Plains and I can understand that the vast openess intimidated some of the early settlers. Winter brings its own bleak, dangerous beauty to this area. Life slows down, even a busy agenda can not hurry us through the day, snow and ice determine the pace of life.
It is coming, you can feel it in the air. The goats have started getting their winter coat and the horses will soon be following. The horse tank in the pasture is frozen each morning, the waterer in the chicken house is plugged in and the heating element keeps the water liquid. This week we inserted an electric light bulb in the base of the automatic waterer in the barn. The heat from the light bulb keeps the pipe from freezing. Sheep, horses, chickens, unlike cattle, will all eat snow but while the ground is dry and frozen we need to be sure they still have access to water.
Time to store summer clothes and bring out insulated bibs and coats; hats and gloves are ready by the door with reserves in the pickup. The geese have been arriving from the north and, as our lakes and sloughs begin to freeze their days in this area are numbered. When they have no more water they will move further south. They don't seem as noisy this year but perhaps they still haven't reached their full numbers yet. Pheasant season started and deer season in this area starts on Saturday.
The last remaining crop to be harvested in our garden is Brussels sprouts, we have been waiting for a good freeze and they are now ready to harvest.....or they were! Yesterday I found the new goat, Hyacinth standing next to the plants, munching away, obviously enjoying her latest find. Somehow she had slipped through the electric fence, jumped the fence round the garden and made herself at home. Mercifully she did leave some for us! This was our first year at successfully growing Brussels sprouts, it seems Hyacinth approved. That will teach us to raise animals smarter than we are. Speaking of which, next year we plan on adding pigs to the mixture; I am so looking forward to that.
Our first snow has been promised for Saturday, 2-6 inches. It has arrived earlier in years gone by, but whenever it arrives, it is a four letter word.
No comments:
Post a Comment