Winter Wonderland

We got about 12-inches of snow yesterday and last night.  How beautiful it is outside with all the fluffy white snow.  Perhaps that means we will have a white Christmas this year.  We have had several brown winters here in Minnesota, and that is definitely not fun for anyone.  There is nothing more drab and dreary than month after month of solid frozen ground with no snow on it, brown everywhere, and nothing pretty to look at.  Yuck.  Luckily, last year and now this we received a nice blanket of thick, white, snow to insulate the ground a little and make things look wintery and pretty.  So, that means the snowblower gets more use, but that is okay.

I am feeling a bit festive for the season, just wish someone else could come and do all the housework that needs to be done.  Trust me, I couldn't pay anyone enough to undertake all I want to have done here.  Just as well, if I do it myself I will appreciate the result more.  Right?

My poor chickens.  Only three of them have ever seen snow before, and that has been long enough ago that their little pea-sized brains probably don't even remember.  I opened their little coops up today and they didn't even want to come out, they were afraid of the thick, white snow.  I took my snowblower out though and gave them a little area to scratch and peck in.  The funniest thing though was my son's Golden Penciled Hamburgs that decide they would fly straight up to the top of the brooder house instead of mess with trying to get through the snow.  My other son looked out and said, "Is that a hawk?"  Of course, not.  He then realized who it was, and there were three of them up there too!  Those crazy birds are always flying up somewhere.  I am going to feel bad when I have breeding pens for them if I don't have a high enough top to theirs.  I am thinking I will need about a 10-foot high top for the Hamburgs because they love to fly high.

My middle child was happy for the snow today.  He loves to sled and snowboard, so he went right down to his favorite spot and broke a couple of runs.  He finally came home when his butt landed on a stout weed stem that nearly poked him in the butt.  I am looking forward to him being able to go to the ski village nearby to hit their slopes on skis and his snowboard.

The big ticket items on the Christmas list this year are: a new laptop for son #1 - I told him we could help him pay for one since he needs one for school work.  Son #2 wants a new snowboard (or guitar or skateboard).  Daughter hasn't asked for anything big though, but she is easy to please with just about any of the girly things that are out there.  We have really cut back on Christmas though in terms of numbers.  Christmas was always special to me as a kid.  We didn't have much growing up, but my parents always found a way to go all out for Christmas.  Of course, with a huge family, there always seemed to be one person who got forgotten about.  Not that they got nothing, but they definitely didn't get the mother load of gifts.  I have gone from wanting to lavish a ton of gifts on my kids to quality gifts over the quantity.  I like to make things.  I sew and now have taken up knitting.  But I do like to do all kinds of crafts too.  Once we get our "new" garage cleared out from all the excess items being stored there, we will be doing some woodworking items as well.  I have a whole list started for things to make.

Time to sit down and get started on some of those items I want to make, and on the cleaning.

later,
CC