Living on a farm in the winter can make you question if ALL the hard work is worth it. The snow and the rain turn the ground into fields of mud and muck. I am lucky that most mornings my husband handles the farm duty to allow "The Queen of the Farm" her full dose of beauty rest. But there are those mornings when he is traveling that the farm chores are left on my shoulders. I don't complain, but it's not a walk in the park. It's a trek in the 9 degree, snowy, rainy, dark, cold tundra.
The animals depend on us and we depend on them. Therefore, I make my way to our mud room and put on the farm garb. My stylish attire consists of dirty bib overhalls, a ski mask, $5.00 down jacket (what a deal!), and my gloves. I grab a flashlight and head out the door. As I walk through the gate, I pray the cows don't hear me before I can dump feed in their troughs. Walking through thousands of pounds of beef as I get stuck in the mud is extremely scary for me.
I walk and have a conversation with myself. A little like Sally Field in Sybil, but I know you understand as I've laid out the visual in the previous paragraphs. Sybil and I continue our chores from the muddy (an understatement) barnyard to the chicken coop. I open the henhouse door and throw corn as I yell....Here Chick, Chick, Chick. The "girls" as we call them, are reluctant to leave their warm laying boxes. I can't really blame them.
As I make my way back to the house, I hear the cows who have now arrived at their troughs. If it's late enough in the morning, I can see swollen bellies filled with calves who will be dropping soon. Then it dawns on me that Spring is on it's way.
I begin to dream of putting my hands in the dirt. I can see Henrietta with her calf suckling in the field while Guido our bull is deciding whose next. The excitement of days to come of picking strawberries and peaches begins to find hope inside me. I can taste fresh tomato on bologna sandwiches and it is more than I can stand. Taking morning four wheeler rides with my husband to experience the day waking up before us are times that I treasure. And my oh my, rocking on my porch watching bird after bird come to the feeder is something you just have to experience for yourself.
When I was a little girl, living on a farm was no where in my plans for life. But, thank GOD I have this wonderful blessing. As I sit here and write this morning, I can hear the winds of winter outside and feel the cold draft in this old house blow across my feet. I'm reminded that good things are always better when you've had to work for them.
So we'll continue to work through the winter as we do each year. Because the mud, muck and cold are so worth it to experience the amazing blessings of Spring!
This is great! Farmgirls rock! I had a dream we had enough room for two " small cows" last night!
ReplyDeleteOh my!!!
Keep up your farmgirl thoughts!... It's good for all of us!
Deb
My favorite sandwich in the world is bologna and tomato! Followed by a B.L.T.-the L. I've even been known to eat a tomato and mayo if I can't get meat out fast enough.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post too! Your blog is so enjoyable. I envy you your mornings on the farm. Continue to enjoy each one to the fullest.
I dream of living on a farm again, it has been years. I will be content to be in my 1940's style cottage, with a few raised beds, chickens in a few months, and reading your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough we don't have a farm, in many ways I feel the same as you! I love spring for baseball season! I love to watch my boys play while all the moms catch up on what happened to us all over the Winter! Also to just be able to get outside and be comfortable, not too hot, not too cold! I love the smells that come along with Spring, fresh cut grass, flowers, a warm gentle rain...Ahhhh....yes I do have Spring Fever!
ReplyDeleteI love to sit on your porch, there is something spiritual about that space. I will never forget the strange bird that we all saw that day. Waking up in that morning and just chatting about the day to come while sipping on our coffee....I hope you are ready for us to come down again! Words can't explain what a visit to TN does for us!!
A week ago I saw the robins, back from the southern states so spring is definitely on its way to my little corner of the world as well. My husband and I go around and around about how hard it is for me to get out of bed in the morning. He worries that when we start our farm I'll be the same way. I have to keep reminding him that part of the reason I don't like getting up is I have very little to look forward to in my mundane day.
ReplyDeleteOn a farm, it's worth it to get out of bed to use the hands you were given to reap the benefits of a farm and the land and the animals. I will hop out of bed when the rooster crows and rush to get the eggs before they freeze in the cold and I will be smilin' if not all the time than at least 90% of it. That's my prediction.
Patty-
ReplyDeleteYep, you'll never want to stay in bed once you are on your farm as there is always something to do. Always something new to see even if it appears to someone else as insignificant. I think your prediction is dead on!! LOL...Hope it is realized for you soon.