Welcome, welcome, let me show you around the farm. It’s not the first time, but it is the first time during winter.
Winter on the farm, its especially magical after a fresh snowfall.
And good news! I have finally figured out how to make it snow. The minute you start designing your spring home tour, the snow flakes start to fall outside your window. Be sure to post about your spring plans on social media, I think that helps, as well.
School should be shut down by the following morning and you will look up from your pillow to see this. . .
Anyway, that’s what happened to me this week. I had fully reconciled myself to the fact that we would be getting exactly ZERO snow this winter and VOILA!
Mentally, we all shift gears.
Do we have enough wood for the wood stove?
Are any pipes in danger of bursting? Do the animals need their water thawed?
These are the things that you think about on a farm during winter.
The dog and cat, both indoor pets, can’t decide if they want to be outside or not.
The garden actually looks gorgeous for a change! All the weeds are buried under a dreamy blanket of snow. Will my herbs make it?
But, its the bees that I wonder the most about.
Sometimes, in the dead of winter, I knock on the side of the hive to listen for the familiar buzzing going on in there. I hear nothing this time. Time will tell if the hive survived the winter or not.
The rabbits each get turns playing in the snow.
But, we are careful not to take them inside. Last year we were mistakenly concerned about the babies and would take them inside to warm up by the wood stove during a major temperature drop.
Apparently, their little internal thermostats couldn’t handle the temperature swing and we lost most of that litter.
This goes for the chickens, as well. We used to put a heat lamp out in the coop.
But, now only have a low wattage light bulb out there to ensure they get the recommended light requirements for egg production.
All in all, we love a good snowfall around here and cherish the few snow days we get in Washington state. The worst part is seeing how “not white” our white animals look next to the pure driven snow!
Oh well, bath time will have to wait for warmer days.
I hope enjoyed this little peak into life on the farm during wintertime. My hope is to do a little tour for each of the seasons to chronicle the full year for you.
I should sign off now, the wood stove is needing more firewood and my licorice tea is calling my name.
Until next time!
Watch this video to see bonus footage!
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Please tell me you let those rabbits out of that cage. I never see anyone let the rabbits out of their cage, so sad for them not to be able to move around. A SMALL fence would be perfect for them to be able to roam in
I so agree. It kills me to see caged animals. I know they are safer inside the cages,, but they need freedom as well.
She says in the post that the rabbits each get turns playing in the snow.
Author
Hi Deb, Thank you for your concern, its hard to tell from the pic, but that hutch is gigantic- lots of extra space to run around in. And yes, all of our animals are allowed to free range each day.
We have so much snow and I still feel like it is grand when it all begins. The drab of fall is covered by the lovely white the glistens and reflects the light. The lovely thick blanket of snow covers everything, making the yard full of interesting shapes. And it is fun to identify the prints of the different animals that have visited. Northern Michigan gets a fine dose of contrast for all the seasons. I love it.
Author
So well said, my dear. I just love your eye for beauty. xoxo
Awe, I loved seeing your beautiful place in the snow. It sure has been fun but I’m pretty ready for normalcy again.
Author
I’m so glad the kids have this snow storm in their childhood memories. It was so much fun!
I’m sad that y’all lost some bunnies last year and may lose the bees. I didn’t know that about them either so glad to know. We have a BLM Mustang. The first year we got him we worried about the water troughs freezing over but one day looked outside to see him breaking the ice with his nose. We laughed and realized a Mustang from Idaho is used to that sort of thing. LOL The snowfall is beautiful. Thanks or sharing and enjoy the rest of winter. 😉
Author
Thank you for your kind words, death is by far the hardest part of farming. :(. Your little Mustang sounds completely adorable and so smart!
One more thing! I know you let your rabbits out and are a sweet caretaker so I thought I’d share one fun thing we did for our bunnies. We had a broken trampoline. We threw away everything except the frame. Turned it upside down and ran chicken wire around the entire thing and fastened it with zip ties. We put a small hutch inside in case it rained and this became their yard. It was perfect! Best wishes and big hugs!
Author
Oh what a fun idea for bunnies! I love it!