Winter

 Winter brings the thought of freezing temperatures and lots of snow. I have reached the age where snow is not a welcome sight! I guess if the truth be told I am not a big fan of winter at all. If I could sit in front of my woodstove with a cup of coffee, and a book; and alternate between watching the fire lick at the logs and look out the window at the blowing snow; and know that I was snug as a bug in a rug, I just might enjoy winter a little more. But that just isn't the way it works for me.

Gone are the warm sunshiny days of wearing flip flops to feed the calves. By the time I finally get enough layers of clothing on so I won't freeze, I am sweating! As I step out the door, the wind takes my breath away. As I breathe in the icy air, I can tell it is in the single digits again. As I walk out through the snow it is so cold my footsteps sound like I am walking on eggshells. The calves water buckets are completely frozen. Thawing calf buckets morning and evening usually produces a pile of ice big enough to make a small igloo. As I work in my heated wash room to mix up the calves milk, I hear them bawling, calling for me to hurry up. They all have their heads out through the bars stretching to reach the milk before I can get it into their holders..all except one! Trying to teach a two day old calf to drink from a bucket while Jack Frost nibbles at my nose calls for a level of patience I have not yet obtained. As I spend an hour or two making 22 calves happy, I become more and more anxious to get back to my warm house. Winter, even the name sounds cold, has a way of making one forget about the hot humid days of summer. I'm so thankful we live in an area that has four seasons. Winter won't last forever!