We had a delightful 2016 Christmas Tree season and hope your holidays were wonderful as well. Thank you so much to those of you who came up between the snow storms (and the few brave neighbors who walked here in the snow) for your trees. As promised, this year we supported the cause of protecting Native American access to clean water, donating $125 of farm proceeds to the Sacred Stone Legal Defense Fund.
The close of the 2016 and the beginning of 2017 have both brought days of snow, of sun, and one night with the brightest moon we have ever seen. This time of year always feels a bit magical to me, and the weather definitely matches my mood. I'm ready for quiet time to lay low at home, reflecting on the year that was and the one that is just beginning. It's cold and dark, and surely time for a rest, but the light is coming again and we'll be ready when it does.
Snowfall:
Kitty knows the best spot:
The alpacas are not fans of the snow. It makes the grass disappear. Usually even with just a little bit they stay in the barn but apparently they were feeling adventurous:
Our best evening skies of the year are in the winter when the sun is very much in the southern sky:
Craig venturing out after the big storm that left us with around 10 inches:
This puffball of a hummingbird wintered here despite the harsher than usual conditions:
We didn't expect Tux to get to see snow again, but at nearly 17 he kept us company on many snowy walks this winter:
I took this picture out our front window of this deer who came to munch the cold remains of this really beautiful late blooming plant that volunteered in our flower garden:
This was taken around midnight by the light of the full moon so bright we needed no flashlight:
This photo is of Craig under the moonlight around midnight on that bright and eerie night. There is no artificial light in this photo and it was not even a notably long exposure:
The chickens dislike the snow even more than the alpacas:
As it melted they were relieved to forage under the tree shadows where there was some uncovered dirt:
We went sledding in some new places on the property, with this being the most fun sledding ever:
The bird feeders get a lot of traffic all winter:
Little visitors coming for a snack in the snow:
More birds coming for food:
Snow tumbling out of the high branches through the sunbeam:
Evening sun over the snow field:
Here we are, enjoying winter:
And the light low in the sky, climbing higher day by day:
The close of the 2016 and the beginning of 2017 have both brought days of snow, of sun, and one night with the brightest moon we have ever seen. This time of year always feels a bit magical to me, and the weather definitely matches my mood. I'm ready for quiet time to lay low at home, reflecting on the year that was and the one that is just beginning. It's cold and dark, and surely time for a rest, but the light is coming again and we'll be ready when it does.
Snowfall:
The alpacas are not fans of the snow. It makes the grass disappear. Usually even with just a little bit they stay in the barn but apparently they were feeling adventurous:
Our best evening skies of the year are in the winter when the sun is very much in the southern sky:
Craig venturing out after the big storm that left us with around 10 inches:
This puffball of a hummingbird wintered here despite the harsher than usual conditions:
We didn't expect Tux to get to see snow again, but at nearly 17 he kept us company on many snowy walks this winter:
I took this picture out our front window of this deer who came to munch the cold remains of this really beautiful late blooming plant that volunteered in our flower garden:
This was taken around midnight by the light of the full moon so bright we needed no flashlight:
This photo is of Craig under the moonlight around midnight on that bright and eerie night. There is no artificial light in this photo and it was not even a notably long exposure:
The chickens dislike the snow even more than the alpacas:
As it melted they were relieved to forage under the tree shadows where there was some uncovered dirt:
We went sledding in some new places on the property, with this being the most fun sledding ever:
The bird feeders get a lot of traffic all winter:
Little visitors coming for a snack in the snow:
More birds coming for food:
Snow tumbling out of the high branches through the sunbeam:
Evening sun over the snow field:
Here we are, enjoying winter:
And the light low in the sky, climbing higher day by day:
