Cup Of Snow

 

 

Like everyone else in Central Illinois we were gifted with a bit of snow last night. Second time in a week. I, of course, deem it "beautiful" while Keith proclaims it "a big pain in the ..." Guess which of us does more of the outside chores?

 

Wrong, it is definitely NOT me. Oh I get out there, piddle around with chickens and horses, the farm store, some customers,  and of course all summer I am out there often, but fact of the matter is...Keith is the winter hero. He does the majority of outside chores. Here is below feeding one of our two Red Wattle Boars. This one is Wally weighing in at about 900 pounds now.

 

Not bad for a  three year old.

 

I often feel guilty about the arrangement but he swears it suits him. He admits he prefers my cooking to his own and he has no real desire to do housework but he does do all his own laundry. Yes, I know, one in a million. While I handle the majority of the office work, the customer relations, the marketing, the emails.

 

 

One thing we both agree on, its not so much "his work" or "my work" it is "our work"  It all needs to be done and so we do it. In my early 30's I fought tooth and screechy nail with anyone who suggested that woman were best suited for one job over men. I was a flaming aka annoying liberal.

 

Now, I love my husband even more when he does those dirty jobs, those cold jobs, those physically demanding jobs. And he is very happy that I do all the family stuff, the shopping, the Christmas gift organizing, the get those grandkids to bed etc...

 

Like my mom would always say "it all comes out in the wash"

 

Today we took 10 seconds and walked around our farm together and enjoyed the beauty of the snow. The way our new mama pig kept her babies all snuggled up warm in her little shed with deep bedding.

 

 

 

 

Mama Skyler outside in her limited pen (only for a few more days until the babes can be trusted to follow her home once she gets her big pasture back)

 

 

 

All of our Red Wattles take well to the cold and snow as long as they have dry and well bedded shelters to hang out in. Pretty amazing since the herd, thought to be extinct, was rediscovered in TEXAS in the 1970"s!

 

 

 

While Keith went back to plowing out the drive I continued my walkabout...The stillness of the secret garden under its thick white comforter. Once again I forgot to dig up the gladiola bulbs. Oh well.

 

 

 

I love all the textures under the snow. The evergreens on the left and the dead but still standing tall, sunflowers on the right. The vintage bicycle just left of center in the lower third of the pic above and the sad lawn chairs in the way back.

 

The gate to the Secret Garden and the angels within, all looking dreamy in the grey blue sky this morning. And look! A bunch of red onions I hung on the fence to dry before bringing inside.

 

 

 

 

We were lucky with this storm, no real wind or I would not be grinning like an eejit. Wind here up on the hill means big drifts even with only an inch or two of snow. With the 6 inches that landed last evening we would have had more troubles getting around and the one swipe up and down the drive to clear the snow would have been more like 4 or 5.

 

 

So really, after all, it was a good day to enjoy the gift of white. And with my family (4 siblings, 4 children and all THEIR families) coming for our annual OShaughnessy Christmas Fest tomorrow, the timing could not have been more perfect.