Snow, Beautiful Snow !

It's been snowing off and on for the last few weeks. This is a picture of our first snow back in November. The little shed is my new wool shop . My husband is almost finished with it and I'll give you a tour in another post. This is where my looms are and all my wool is now stored , along with all the equipment I need in my wool working.

Snow along the fences and on the trees really do make this a winter wonderland.

Our new front yard . The fence you see in the picture separates our yard from one of our pastures. The wires in the background run parallel to the gravel road in front of our home where hills, forest, and low mountains are just a walk across the road away.

My view from my back porch, and I love it !

" Have you entered the warehouses of the snow , or have you seen the storehouses of the hail ?"

Job 38:22

Winter Takes Hold ~ All Is Well ( Thursday Update )

 Time to pull the Christmas dishes out of the pantry. This chickadee teapot is not strictly for Christmas but I use it especially this season. The teapot reflects the sights around Cedar Pond this time of the year. We have so many chickadees helping themselves to the sunflower seeds filling our bird feeders. The chickadees don't seem greedy either. They grab one seed and fly to a nearby branch to crack it open and eat the seed meat inside before flitting back to the feeder for another seed. The chickadees are with us all year and although easy to overlook for the more dramatic birds , they make me happy. Chick-a-dee-dee-dee !

 Ella and Fella my Sebastopol Geese hang out under the bird feeders eating any seeds the birds fling over the feeders. It is good to know the expensive black oil sunflower seeds don't go to waste around here.

 The bees are snug in their hives during the very cold weather. My husband makes his honeybees sugar boards to eat during the winter.

 Deciduous trees have shed their leaves . Our cedar and fir trees seem even more beautiful to me in winter with their deep green showing against the stark bare trunks and branches of the aspen, oak, alder, and maple trees.

 The last few days were very cold, below 30 degrees. We kept a fire in the wood stove the whole time. Nothing warms a body up as well as hauling several loads of firewood into the house. Now the temperatures have risen sharply and according to the weather man we're in for a very big wind and rain storm. It is good to be prepared for these storms because we frequently lose electric power when the high wind gusts knock trees down onto the power lines. I've already filled containers with water , have the candles and matches near, firewood stacked and ready to burn, a battery powered radio , and books to read. Especially books to read !

 Our pond was almost bone dry the end of September and two weeks into October we had big rains . More rain in November helped fill Cedar Pond and the water overflows the banks of the island in the middle of our pond.

 Our creek ran dry in June ( very early for this to happen ) and is now flowing rapidly adding more water to the pond.

 My sheep don't suffer the cold or wet because their wool coats keep them very comfortable. ( This is Tovah , one of my 4 horned sheep.)

 I found some dishes for our Christmas table settings. The green goblets and cream cloth napkins I bought at the dollar store go very well with the dishes. My winter teapot also looks pretty nice with these dishes.

I could easily use these dishes all winter because this is a common winter sight for me, wild bunnies bouncing across our lawns, gardens, and under the firs and cedars. Winter has taken hold and all is well here at Cedar Pond. God is so good to me and I am thankful.

Don't forget, any time you enter a comment ( limit 1 comment per post ) you're entered to win a pair of Wee Little Sheep * .

A Winter Tea-Time

 Winter weather around our home calls for hot tea to warm the tummy, a cookie to tingle the taste-buds, and greenery to soothe the eye. Ahhhhhh, now for a break . A Tea-Time Tuesday break !

 This Colclough china cup was made in England in the 1940's. I believe the pattern is Grape Vine. The cucumber mint tea was a Christmas gift and I am hoping the tea really proves to be "green tea for youth recovery " ! It is delicious tea.

 I gather a tray I bought before Christmas. This tray really can serve all winter though, don't you think ? The scene on the tray is one you can see in many rural areas of the U.S. this time of the year.

 I chose the chickadee teapot my husband's parents gave us for Christmas one year because I love the sprigs of greenery and pinecones surrounding the little chickadee on the pot. The teapot is Winterwood by Pfaltzgraff. I grabbed the last three Berry Butternuts * my husband made before Christmas. He only makes these cookies once a year and their rich buttery taste improves when they are stored in a sealed container. The trick is to hide them so they last long enough for me to enjoy  AFTER Christmas !

"The first weeks of the year are often a time of quiet reflection for many people ~ days when the wintry white landscape outside sets the tone for thoughtful contemplation inside." Tea Time Magazine

I am linking with the ladies below for Tea~Time Tuesday :

• Terri at Artful Affirmations *
• Martha at Martha's Favorites *
• Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *
• Bernideen at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog *
• Ruth at Antiques & Teacups *

Whimsy's First Winter & We're In The Deep Freeze

 Cedar Pond is frozen. We had about an inch of snow last week, and for the last few days our nightly temperatures have been below 20 degrees. Right now it is 11 degrees here. The pond just starts to thaw in the late afternoon , then the temps drop and it re-freezes. The weather forecasters predict these temps until the middle of next week.

 Our fountains are frozen. Our animal water troughs are frozen. I was looking forward to spending the cold winter days indoors, spinning and weaving my wool, reading my Christmas magazines, baking cookies,blogging....( you get the picture ) but instead, I am carrying many, many buckets of hot water to my poultry and livestock . My husband & I have also been carrying many loads of firewood indoors to keep our home warm & toasty. Just past midnight my husband was outside checking the pipes and putting heat lamps on some of them, then he added more wood to the woodstove & stoked it up.

 Whimsy, my German Shepherd puppy turned 5 months old a few days ago and this is her first freeze.

 She checked out our first dusting of snow...

 ...and the ice on the pond.

 

Whimsy also checked out the red bows on our Christmas decorations and thought they were great chew toys. But she is a very smart dog and after 3 attempts to dismantle the decorations for her amusement, we convinced her this was not acceptable behavior for a good dog like her.Now she leaves the bows alone. Good dog Whimsy .

 

Whimsy & Hawk

The Ice Storm Has Taken It's Toll

We have been without power at our place since last Wednesday night between 6:00 & 7:00. I was in the process of downloading photos to my blog when everything went black in the house.We have a warm home and hot meals because we have a wood stove, and a good supply of firewood. A battery powered radio keeps us in touch with the outside world, a well stocked pantry , bottled water, and candles keep us going when it gets dark.The first night without power was beautiful. Lots of snow outside gave us bright and quiet scenery ,all was as pretty and cozy as a Christmas card.Thursday night the ice storm came. We had a full 24 hours of trees popping, exploding, and bursting all around our property. We did not venture past the porches , nor did the animals venture out of their shelters...the falling branches were weapons, and there was no time the branches were not falling. Some of the limbs that fell were themselves the size of large trees. When the temperatures began warming yesterday it was still dangerous outside because branches are falling with each blast of wind. Tonight and Tuesday we have windstorms forecast, with gusts up to 55 MPH. If I could download pictures of our place you would see it looks like a war zone. The devastation is daunting, but our house escaped any damage, and although some of the animal pens sustained branches through their roofs, not a single animal was killed, a true miracle. The picture above is courtesy of my daughter, A.Joy, whose computer I am using tonight.The ice storm has taken it's toll, and I think it will be collecting from us for a very long time to come. I am praising and thanking God for keeping us safe. I hope you are all well and safe during the storms of winter too.

New Lambs, Can Spring Be Far Away ?

The first lambs of the year!

It is snowing here and we are experiencing record low temperatures for this time of year. Actually, they would be record lows for most any time of the year in this neck of the U.S. Nevertheless, new lambs foretell of spring , and new lambs melt my heart. Aren't they cute? This is Sassafras with her new ram lambs .

"It's winter, and I am bound to squeeze the beauty and life out of every day, to appreciate what is wonderful about it, and to stop my pointless yearning for the mellow days of autumn past or - perish the thought - the distant warmth of spring."Julie Zickafoose ~ 'Letters From Eden '

Thanksgiving With Some of My Favorite People and Dogs

Thanksgiving was celebrated over the mountains and through the woods, 6 and 1/2 hours away with our oldest son and his 4 daughters, pictured above.

My beloved Beatrix was with us...

..as was my husband's dog Hawk. We had a wonderful time of family, food, and fellowship ~ and LOTS of snow! "As the season turns toward December , we are settling in. The woodpile high, the freezer filled, heaters ready to be lit,snow tires on - we can face the world with a smile." Gladys Taber Now, on to December and the hustle and bustle of Christmas!

Storm Watch !

~Cedar Pond was peaceful and Christmas card pretty today.~

~BUT....the weather stations are sending out dire warnings and predictions of a monster storm.The sheep seem unconcerned.But the forecast is for sustained winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour with gusts of up to 80 miles per hour for our little region of the Pacific Northwest. ~Goth the Destroyer, with his cool mask, is only concerned he get his share of soda crackers. But I am very concerned. I am even a little fearful. Talk about Deja-vu, storm 2006, which I was NOT going to talk about anymore. These are the conditions that led up to our tarp covered and tree toppled demise 2 years ago, except that now there are ice laden trees to topple..... ~The ducks are so happy to run free from their pen in the morning. Snow and ice...well, they do fine even if they do skid on the ice covered pond.They do spend a lot of time sitting on their delicate feet to keep them warm and prevent frost bite. They are not worried, I keep them well fed and protected from predators. ~The call ducks are so pretty as they fly into the pond, or onto the ice. They often circle the house in flight and I feel so special when they fly beside me as I carry the bucket of food to their pen for the nightly feed and lock up. ~Thorin and Bombadil too, are not worried. They are competing with each other here for the soda cracker treats. They know they will get their alfalfa and they also have ........

~A fine shelter for goats.You can see Thorin peeking out from the upper story of the goat house and Bombadil is below, at the hay feeder.~

~The Labs are not concerned at all. They are the perfectly equipped for cold , wet weather. They are really concerned with who will get the tennis ball I am about to throw to them. The weather is of no concern. They know the dog food will be dished out in the morning as usual, and they will sleep by the wood stove in the evening. No worries or cares, except...who will get the tennis ball first ?

~Black Bart is not concerned about the weather. He has a fine wool coat to keep him warm. He too knows the alfalfa will be served up every day. He plays with the other young sheep in the crisp weather. ~

~This is my view to a dark day, but a pretty day outside. The wood stove is keeping us warm. The pantry and fridge are filled with good things to eat and drink. But we did cancel our family Christmas party and Hubby's special event because of the very, very bad road conditions and the family party tomorrow night would be in the midst of a raging wind storm that would have precious people going home through forests that will most likely be dropping trees on the roads and highways. Dodging trees on icy roads with power outages..no, a party can be re- scheduled , and so it will be. ~Poor Hubby is stuck trying to help me not be afraid of the remaining trees hanging over and around us. I have a book on tape, and batteries to listen to it when the power goes out. I am sure the power will go out. We always lose power in the storms. So, I might not be blogging for awhile because we will shut down our computer before the storm hits. ~"Praise the Lord from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind , fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples;" Psalm 148:7-11

Spot of Tags and Winter Scenes

~Window- sill scene~~I have been tagged by FLOWER. ~

~This is an interesting tag. Just open the 4th picture folder on your computer, then open and post the 4th picture in that folder, and then tag 4 more people to do that and inform them and the person who tagged you . My 4th picture folder only had 1 picture in it so I went on to the next folder with 4 pictures. This is a picture of #2 Granddaughter last spring with a newborn ram lamb. Aren't they cute ? I am tagging A.Joy at Home,

Lanny fromIt's The Dirt, Mildred of Nalley Valley. The fourth person can be either of two sisters, Anna and Bet of Terriers and Tabbies and Paddle in the Pond.

It should be fun to see what the 4th picture might be that these people have in their 4th picture folder.I was kind of pleased to remember my granddaughter holding that cute little lamb.

~Now, I have not forgotten I was given a Meme by Mildred quite awhile ago and for one reason or another did not fulfill my Meme duties.Sorry Mildred! So here is the Meme and the rules.1.Link to the person who tagged me. Mildred of Nalley Valley. 2. Post rules of meme. 3. Write 6 random things about me. 4.Tag 6 people 5.Let each person know they're being tagged and leave a comment on their blog 6. Let the tagger know you have posted their entry. ~1 random thing about me: Believe it or not, I hold this to be my ambition; "and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you; so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need." I Thessalonians 4:11,12 ~2. I love birds..all kinds of birds. 3. I spend a lot of time watching the birds, and probably too much money feeding the wild birds. 4.I prefer brussel sprouts to ice cream. 5.I love the smell of roses. 6. I lived in Hawaii for 3 years and learned the Hula.( not well) I am offering this tag to all who would share 6 random things about themselves...please friends, share a bit of yourselves. ~The pictures are from the last 2 snowy days. I have been hauling a LOT of wood to feed our wood stove . It has warmed the house so well the furnace has not kicked in for almost a week. And we do have a lot of firewood thanks to the storm of 2 winters ago. I am also filling troughs by bucket as the hoses are all unhooked and the outdoor faucets are wrapped to prevent freezing and bursting. I plan on spending the rest of this week baking, wrapping gifts, getting ready for the family Christmas party and the special event Hubby has planned. I have a weaving project on the loom and some felting and locker hooking in progress. I love winter days I can stay home. ~Imagery from the book of Job about winter and snow.This is God asking Job "Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail," " From whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth ? Water become stone, and the surface of the deep is imprisoned." Job 38:22,29,30