Saturday, January 30, 2016

The days in Between



 
 
 
 
 






 



We are just trying to stay busy here, in between the days of Snow and mud..The Roads are pretty much clear( though muddy) and the weekend is supposed to be gorgeous! 60-65 degrees and sunny.

While its going to be nice, its still a bit too muddy to do very much outdoors.. Although I have started some seeds...  too early , you ask?? maybe a little, but I always start a few trays to hold me over until its "officially" time. I find that starting them a bit earlier gives them time to grow big and strong too..

Norah has been on a letter writing kick.. I believe she has written and mailed out around 6 or 7letters. It makes me happy to see her doing this when almost every form of communication these days happens via the internet. She has been begging and pleading for an email, hehe, for what, I don't know, but she really wants one for some reason ( probably because mom has one ;)... I briefly explained to her that before  days of tinternet ( when I was a kid) people used to write letters all the time, this is really how people used to communicate or say hello, if there were not talking on the phone.
She wrote some friends from camp and some relatives, I really hope she gets some letters back and continues to write.

The sewing machine has been pulled out briefly. I made a skirt and a small quilted table runner for our table.... I have so many fabric scraps that really need to be used up, as they take up so much space ! This was the perfect project to use some of them. It really started out as a full blown quilt before I decided I just didn't Love the fabrics,, and didn't want to invest time in a quilt if I just felt "meh" about it everytime I looked at it. It looks nice on the dining room table and brightens it up a bit ......

Besides that, we are just really waiting for things to dry up before working on a million projects outside. My mushroom hoop house ( that keeps my shiitake logs in the shade) collapsed during the snow storm so that need fixed. We have 5 fruit trees to move, a grape trellis to put up, trellis for the peas, 2 chicken tractors need built, and on and on and on.. I always seem to get anxious this time of year,, so much that needs done for spring,, and so little time. It all gets done though, always does....
and our chickens, well they hate snow, haha.... so yeah they are happy about the thaw too...


Blessings

The Cools

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Big Snow on the Homestead








Well ,the much anticipated Snow from Winter Storm Jonas,  arrived! I kind of lost count after awhile, but am guessing we were blessed with about 15" of the white stuff.
For those of you who follow our blog, you know that we are within a National forest. We have a 12 mile gravel ( now snow ) commute. The roads are not maintained by the state or county. although The National Forest does hire someone to plow( sometimes). Last time we had snow like this, it was 6 days before our roads were cleared...and a week before our Mail arrived.
They did come through with a plow yesterday when the snow started,but that has since been covered with about 10 more inches of snow.
Hey, it makes for a good hiking trail, when ya cant drive on it!

We have really been enjoying our time snowed in; baking, hiking, sledding , reading. eating and hanging around the wood cookstove staying warm.

Now spring can officially arrive.. *wink