… about being below freezing for so long.
And there are positives, it cannot possibly be all bad. Not in Our World anyway. There are lots of good things.
The pigs get a warm breakfast of soaked alfalfa cubes, garlic, kitchen scraps and molasses. It actually looks pretty tasty.. if you are a pig.
The sheep are happy. 
There was so much good pasture for them this year that their fleeces are long and crinkly.
The cows graze, heedless of the cold and I get to wear lots of clothes – and I like to wear lots of clothes. I am thrilled at the arrival yesterday of a new man’s farm jacket just for me. It is big and thick and deliciously cosy. The Carhart is officially retired though after wearing it for four or so years, ripped and worn to bits with the broken zip and hanging pockets, I find it hard to retire it completely to the rag bag, so it will hang by the door for a while (probably a couple of years) just in case I need it as a back up.
All the pears and pumpkins I have collected sit in the barn’s deep freeze and I bring them to the house to thaw one bucket at a time then I feed them out. So all our autumn produce is lasting longer than usual.
Straw starts to look warm and friendly.
I am carrying buckets of water again and this means my bucket carrying muscles are groaning and growing. .. I like my bucket carrying muscles.
Stews cook for a long time on the wood-stove .. I love to cook on the wood-stove, I feel quite sanctimonious when i cook home grown food on top of the fire I am heating the house with. If it heated the water for my bath as well I would be even more sanctimonious. But I am working on that.
The birds hang out in the barn so we can observe Godot’s growing tail up close. Though with the big doors almost closed it is darker in there now.
The white peacock tail feathers do not have an eye like the blue ones. They feather out with such delicate grace. But I think I will succumb and try to find another India Blue Peacock at the bantam swap this coming spring. Godot is beautiful but I do miss the flash of colour that The Duke of Kupa brought to the garden. Just because I miss The Duke of Kupa does not mean I love Godot any less. Life is like that you know.
Another good thing about the cold is that I get more work done in the house. I have made a little book of farm pictures to be printed as Christmas pressies for the various children in the family. The T Shirt crowd funding thingy finishes today so very soon we will have our Sheila T Shirts and Sheila will have a cheque. Thank you. The calendars have been printed and are listed as shipped. I have got them down to $22.00 per calendar plus postage. So shortly I will email all the calendar people and we will begin the payment and postage process.
Oo that is an alliteration. I love alliterations – do you remember this story? I just went back and read this story myself. I love that memory. And I see that I used to say Good Morning in my older posts. When did I stop saying Good Morning? Obviously it IS morning.
What else is good and working in the cold .. what have I forgotton.
So, Good morning my darlings. I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
53 responses to “The positives …”
I understand you wearing a lot of clothes, sort of a feeling solid grounded !:), it is also getting colder here in the Danish countryside, although not that cold as at you, but requiring me to wear insulated carhatts overalls and my still doable carhatt jacket although also ripped etc. greetings from one farm to another !
greetings to the danish country side and the professor. I
The first advantage of the cold that comes to my mind is how nice it feels to come into a warm building! Foggy glasses – not so much though!
ah this is true too. that delicious warmth.. c
Brrr!!! I’m glad you have a new jacket. Do you need a new hat? I might make it better, 2nd time round!
I went walking without my sticks today. Not a good idea: passing car drivers must think I’m drunk as I’m so wobbly.
Have started knitting a warm Guernsey sweater, just in case your weather arrives here. The woodburner isn’t coming until mid-Jauary!
Love,
ViV xox
walking without your sticks is excellent.. you are going to have a better winter this year.. c
Accepting our circumstances instead of railing against them makes life easier, I think. I struggle with it also. You are making good use of the cold. That warm mash for the pigs does sound good. Looking forward to the farmy goodies. Good morning Miss C.
It sounds like the new jacket was very much needed 😉
Glad you have a warm and cosy new jacket. One of the reasons I dislike winter is all the layers of clothes – and we certainly don’t get anywhere near as cold as you folks! Does Godot display too, or is he still too young? Good morning 😉 Laura
I hope your new coat keeps you warm and cosy. It is really cold here too. Our walk to school yesterday had minus 15 (celcius) windchill. I had a grumpy child who does not like snow pants.
I bet you told her she would be even grumpier without them!! hope it warms up a little for the walk home..
The best part of the cold weather is that the mosquitos are finally gone for a few months.
there is that.. c
No flies nor bugs. That is what cold weather brings also. 😀 And that makes me happy. Stay warm!
oh yes, no flies.. so much better (and cleaner) without those flies.. c
I need to think like you, positive thoughts about the cold, which began so early and will stretch so long.
I think the early winter is what has caught us mentally unprepared.. c
Good morning, Celi, and many good blessings of the day to you.
This post brought up my wandering (and perhaps too idle) mind pondering what the animals must think about as the seasons change. You are so steadfast and accepting of life, and natural changes on the farmy…not to anthropomorphize your lovely farm stock but they must all sense that no matter what comes from the sky that they will be cared for, and very well besides.
or they just sleep and eat!.. though Sheila definitely makes a big bed in the winter so there is some knowledge of preparing for cold in her memory banks.. c
I have Carhart jacket that I refuse to retire. The only tear is in the lining of the hood. It’s covered in long forgotten stains and the zipper needs coaxing every single time I wear it.
i just love the ‘alliteration story’ from your youth Celi!!! And I’m still hoping that I will be reading your memoir in the not too distant future, although I know you’ve always got so many things going on, and that the memoir will take time. But you have so many parts of it already written! I can picture your school so well, the long, wide corridor, the windows, and the scary teacher! Just one of the so many fascinating stories of your youth! Just LOVE them!!! xo As for the positives of freezing weather…..well, I’m having a hard time thinking of more of them! 🙂
I was going to say that as much as I love alliteration (and creating it), I love the word onomatopoeia better, but you beat me to it (I read your linked post). What a brilliant story about the joy of discovery. I do hope my son has moments like that to come. I follow Life at the End of the Road too. I wonder if that’s how I found you… I was trying to remember the other day. Doesn’t mattter, I did find the Farmy, that’s the important bit. So glad you have a new coat. I think the good thing about the cold is that we can (hopefully) cosy up and then have the joy of not needing so many clothes (or socks) when we get spring and summer again. We’ve had it so mild this autumn, proper cold will be a shock if/when it comes. And visually it can be beautiful – winter sunsets, and frost on leaves and grass and summer’s remnants. Thinking the good is key, I believe. My dog would be very envious of your pigs’ cooked breakfasts (if she could read!) All warmth and extra power to you in your cold.