A Beautiful Winter Day

Today has been an absolutely beautiful Winter Day. It has been Cold and the Wind seems intent on rearranging the Snow, much like a Homemaker who continues to rearrange her House to get it just to her liking.

If I wake in Night, which is not uncommon, I always eagerly look to the Sky. I am increasingly intrigued by our companions, the Stars. I know so little about them, but I am intent on learning more. I did wake early this Morning and I was curious as to whether the Sky was overcast. We had come home to quite a Blizzard last night. Sure enough, the Sky was clear.

I looked outside and saw the sliver of the glorious Moon in the southeastern Sky. She is "waning" and WeatherUnderground tells me that She is 15% lit. I probably could have said that myself. I noted the constellation Scorpio in the Southeastern Sky. Scorpio was not visible to us in North Dakota because of our position to the North plus, the Urban Trees limited the view of the Sky.

This morning, Orion was nowhere to be seen. For me, that means that Winter is moving on and will soon be a memory. I had heard that the Ancient Ones used the Stars to guide activities of the Seasons. The placement of the Stars in the Heavens gave them an important Clue as to when to begin to plant. I would like to know that.

I went back to bed. When Richard got up, the temperature was -11. The high was predicted to be 22, but it didn't feel that warm because the Wind was wild and unrestrained.

As the daylight was coming on, Richard noted 1 of the Twin Fawns at the beginning of the path. He took the Picture above through the East Window of the Family Room. Those Deer look so fluffy and well protected from the Winter. I think it looks like they have on their Winter Pajamas.

Upon arising, Melanie headed into the Kitchen and announced that she was going to make her own version of Monkey Bread. We are always supportive of such enterprises. And it was yummy. Meanwhile it was a great day to ponder and give thanks for Electricity, Wood, and Heat. We thought about that a lot. We have so much.

The Birds and the Deer were feeding very intently on this Day. The numbers were amazing. At 1 time, we saw 8 Deer down in Cedar Valley. Richard fed them at their Wild Stations 3 times today. Normally, he only feeds them once.

In exchange, we got to watch some drama. Richard saw 1 of the bigger Deer push away 1 of the Fawns. Another Deer (presumably Mommy) took that Deer on. The 2 larger Deer raised up on their back feet and started sparring with their front feet. We are reminded why we don't have TV.

Laddie loves this Winter Weather. Sometimes he looks back at us when we disappear into the House and it is almost like he is wondering: "Why are you going back inside? This is the best Weather yet." His fur coat is perfect and it far surpasses anything we Humans might construct. We 3 Humans checked on the Chickens several times. The Door to their House is only open a little ways on their severely cold days. And they aren't going out, although they show some interest when we arrive. That means 39 Chickens are hanging out inside, which makes for some interesting dramas.

Richard and Melanie make sure they have what they need. Melanie brings them treats and often hangs out in their House with them. In the 2nd photo below, the splash of red in the distance makes her look like a Cardinal. She is actually headed to the Shed to get them some Alfalfa Hay.

Melanie notes on this day that Pretty Lady is slow and her crop is not full. As per usual in such matters, Melanie is watching her closely, brings her treasures in the medicinary, and offers her special Food.

When I was there, 1 of the Hennies was sure making a racket. Melanie knows all of their Sounds. I am pretty sure the Hennie was letting the World know she had just laid an Egg. Melanie says the Hennie is Kayte. I suppose if I had just laid an Egg, I would be putting up a racket too.When we enter the Chicken House, we often hear a "Tap Tap Tap" about floor level. Looking down, we will see Chickens pecking away at the Fresh Snow. They seem to love it. I guess it is Fresh Snow as opposed to Tap Water which is in their Buckets. They are always giving us things to think about.When we stay in the Chicken House, Peck orders are evident. The 2nd Rooster (who is as yet un-named) is lower on the ladder than Freddie. He hangs out as far away from Freddie as he can get. He usually finds a place up on the "Hospital", which is a special place for Chickens under the Weather. Well, the 2nd Rooster decided he wanted to move closer to the Door which meant moving from 1 end of the Chicken House to the other. That was done with considerable fanfare from Freddie and some of the Hennies. The Little Roo got to the Door and even considered going out, but it was way too cold, so he headed back inside. At which point, he found a place of relative quiet under the West Nest Boxes. He tells us we are all trying to find our place. Late in the Afternoon, I accompanied Richard and Laddie to feed the Birds and the Deer. We stood there a little while, and the Birds came back in short order.Mostly, it was a slow day and we were grateful. We did chores, kept stoking the Wood Stove, read, and napped. We found opportunities to talk with special Friends. Lori Ann called and asked some questions about the best varieties of Veggies for the Garden. We have done some experimenting here. We need to begin writing some of these down.

It was just a beautiful Winter day. I imagine there others would have different views. This is more the Weather I remember for this area from when I was growing up. We are always happy and grateful for Weather which seems closer to a normal pattern. We Humans can adjust.