Time To Watch The Animals In The Snow

We've had snow here at Laughing Dove Farm since the last week of November. It is beautiful outside , especially as I view the winter-scape from indoors while sipping hot coffee. The birds in the picture above are sitting in branches just outside one of our living room windows. The cats seem to think this is just for them and occupy the window sill during daylight hours to watch the birds flitting from the branches to the bird feeders, bird bath and back again.

Luna, our 9 month old Lab puppy loves watching birds too, all birds. She is watching a Pileated Woodpecker  in our woods and would have followed the large and very loud bird if we'd not had her on a leash.

Whimsy, my German Shepherd has appointed herself Luna's best protector and playmate. Luna and Whimsy love the snow. Our below freezing temps and deep snow don't seem to affect them. Luna loves to roll around in the snow too.

My Sebastopol Geese appear to have such bright white feathers until the snow shows up the geese in bright whiteness. The geese too, do not seem to be bothered by the snow except for the lack of a continual supply of water for their bathing and drinking.

Every day I have to haul huge buckets of hot water out to the goose troughs. As soon as I pour hot water over the troughs full of ice the geese hop into their ice bath to drink ,bathe and play until they exhaust the small amount of water I am able to supply for the day.

Goth ( center of picture), my 12 year old Jacob Sheep ram and the rest of my flock of sheep are wearing their wool coats. The snow and cold don't bother them either.

Goth is having the best time of his entire life now. He has never had so much room to roam and on Laughing Dove Farm he has acres ! Since Goth has been a very good ram ( mostly ) I am happy to keep him in his old age. I am hoping he lives many more years and dies peacefully chewing a mouth full of sweet fresh grass. ( Goth is shown here with some of my flock, most of them are his children or grandchildren.)

My sheep heading back to the barn. The snow is much deeper now, the grass is a foot under the snow.

 Our old goat Thorin and Goth side by side.

We love our new home and the knee-deep snow too. The temperature has been below zero most nights and today it warmed up to 7 degrees above zero . The hardest part of so much snow has been doing my farm chores. I have a hard time walking in the deep snow while carrying buckets of grain and water and armloads of hay. Today we bought snowshoes for me so tomorrow's chore time should be a little bit easier. This is going to help even more if we get the predicted snow ( 1 to 4 inches) this weekend.

Our new home is snug and warm, the scenery all around us is so beautiful I sometimes can scarce take in that this is our home ! We've begun a few of the things we need to do to make this place work for us but because we're retired now we're taking our time. Time to gaze out the windows while sipping coffee or tea. Time to laugh at the silly things our animals do.Time to watch the animals play in the snow. Time to walk in the woods, play with our grandchildren. Time to go fishing and camping as soon as the weather permits EVEN IF there is a huge 'to-do' list attached to the fridge. That nagging 'to-do' list has been around as long as we've been married, I expect it to be here as long as we're alive. Time to be... simply be.

Just An Ordinary Day ~ Tea-Time Tuesday !

I have been away and when I came home there was so much  catching up to do in the gardens and chicken & sheep pens. All things I love to do but sometimes the work can be daunting after I've injured myself and have to take things slower. I find myself spending more time on my porch watching the birds during my breaks. The work wears me out quickly and when I have time for blogging I decide to go to sleep instead. That's all good because sleep after a hard day's work is healing, but I have missed my Tea-Time Tuesdays.

Two of the sweet ladies who come to the Thursday Ladies' Luncheon & Bible Study gave me a most wonderful gift basket the very day I left on my small vacation over the mountains. The gift basket contained teas, an electric tea kettle, pretty napkins, tea-towels, delectable cookies, and TEACUPS ! Look at this beautiful teacup .

I made myself some of the white mint tea from the basket, helped myself to a very healthy home-made muffin , and went to savor the moment on my front porch where I could watch the birds at the feeder and the birds who'd set up house-keeping in the birdhouse near-by.

The teacup is by Victoria of England. There is no other information on this teacup that I can find except a hand painted number , and I love this teacup ! Especially because of the two ladies ( mother & daughter ) I have grown close to during our Bible studies.

There is a lot to be said for ordinary days at home, and I myself appreciate them immensely. They settle my soul and remind me of the simple pleasures we all have . Sipping tea or a cup of very good coffee while watching birds from the porch are among the treasures of just an ordinary day at home.

Thank-you Marlene & Marjorie !

• I joyfully join these ladies of the teacup for my Tuesday celebration :Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *, Terri at Artful Affirmations * , Martha at Martha's favorites * , Bernideen's Tea Bernidee's Tea Time Blog * ,Ruth at Antiques & Teacups *.

 

Thankful Thursday ~ My View From The Porch

 This is a well-traveled and used area of our property. The lattice hides the wood shed where we also keep our garbage cans. This area is in full view of our front porch too, so it is nice for it to be somewhat visually appealing.

 The mirror was a Goodwill find for under $5.00 and has endured quite a few winters here. The ceramic planters are re-planted every spring. The bird-bath is new. We have 3 bird-feeders hung in the trees surrounding the wood shed.

 Every morning and in the early evenings we sit on the porch and watch the birds fly in for sunflower seeds. We see chickadees, nuthatches, Oregon Juncos, Stellar Jays, Grosbeaks, finches, Goldfinches, sparrows, Towhees, Cedar Waxwings ~ to name a few. We also watch hummingbirds flit around the Bleeding Hearts and Ajuga that grow lush around the porch and squirrels doing acrobatic tricks to get as many seeds from the "squirrel-proof" feeders as they can carry away in their pouches.

There is no end to the entertainment at the feeders and in the garden, especially now that the weather has warmed. Thank-you Lord for your glorious creation ! ~"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers or authorities- all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16,16

Ducks ~Just Ducks.

Ducks , viewed from our front porch as they eat the sunflower seeds dropped from our bird feeders by the feeding wild birds. This is my flock of ducks. They are released from their pen every morning to wander as they will around our property, swim in our pond, sleep in the sunshine on our big front lawn. 

 I love my ducks.At the close of the day my ducks pen themselves up. I need only remember to close the door of their pen and latch it, thus protecting them from the many predators we have around our home that love duck for dinner.In the morning I will again release them to wander and swim, as I sip my first cup of coffee of the day and watch them.

Spot of Guilt and Bird Watching

~Yesterday was one of those days I yearn for most of the year. It was very, very rainy outside, yet inside the house I was warm and the coffee was fresh and delicious. All the animals were safe and sound and out of the rain( if they chose to be). The window above is one of my kitchen windows. It is directly over the kitchen counter where I do most of my food prep and where I am drawn to stand with my morning coffee and watch the birds at the feeder hanging just outside this window. There were so many birds ! Chickadees, juncos, pine siskins, a woodpecker, finches, towhees...and so on. As I was truly taking in the moment...fresh coffee, I was warm and comfortable, the birds were a delight, and I did not have to be anywhere else, well, I began to feel guilty. ~Miss Marple also enjoys the bird watching, but don't tell Hubby I snapped a picture of her. He would not take the time to snap her picture because he would have rightly shooshed her off the counter. Really, cats do not belong on the counter! I promise, I did shoosh her off the counter after I took the picture..and I did wash the counter top. But look at her, she is having a good time indoors on a rainy day too, and I am sure she is not feeling one single , itty, bitty smidgeon of guilt about it either. ~This is why I felt guilty. Look at the state of our state! We're flooded and mudded and landslided and avalanched to pieces around here. The mountain passes are closed , big sections of our Interstate are now covered in water, and actually, you could float a boat on them. Roads all over are under water, as are homes and businesses. Whole cities have been evacuated because of flooding and others are completely cut off because their roads have been washed away by mud or are under water. And here I am, luxuriating in being able to stay home and ENJOY the rainy day. What is wrong with me? ~When you shoosh Miss Marple away from one window she will always find another window to watch the birds and probably salivate at the feathered delicacies she could be eating if only I would let her outside. She can see the front bird feeder from this window. ~Anyway, about feeling guilty for enjoying the day. It is wrong of me, we are all given so much and to waste the precious moments fretting about this or that or taking on false guilt is wrong. As I went outside and took note of all the standing water around our place, the pond water level is over the island(our home is not in danger from our overflowing pond) and our neighbors pastures are all sporting flocks of swimming ducks and geese, I realize we are safe today. Tomorrow is another day and who knows what that can bring. Believe me, I can think up a lot of disaster scenarios here. But God is in control and if He allows disaster to strike us again, then He knows we can deal with it...so my false guilt and fear and worry are of no good value. Don't get me wrong, there is need for prayer and practical and financial help for the many families devastated by the conditions around the state, but guilt and lack of appreciation for what I do have, well that is wrong. ~Miss Marple and I went on with our day, watching birds and taking refreshment . I cleaned and put away Christmas stuff, she chattered to birds and twitched her tail. "Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting; to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labors in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward." Ecclesiastes 5:18 ~Blessings: good coffee, entertaining cats, birds at the feeder, enjoying rainy days from inside