Post Holiday Update

Hello again. We are currently recovering from the magic of the holiday season. Staying up late, indulging in richer foods, and the influx of new treasures that have arrived. It seems our normal routines become more relaxed in the midst of it all. Maybe the change of pace somehow makes this time of year, seem more memorable. None the less, we were very blessed. The little cowboys have new additions to their toy collection, helping to keep them entertained on long nights. They received several new movies as well. We don’t receive reception to regular television channels. Thus something “new” to watch is always exciting. It allows our “John Wayne” DVD’s, a little break. The little cowboys & I managed to bake cinnamon rolls, sugar cookies and assemble a gingerbread nativity set. I’m sure we resembled a cooking show stuck on the “fast forward” speed setting. Nothing like having big helpers to accomplish projects, in half the normal time. We ventured to the nearby mountains, hunting for our prospective Christmas tree. Our prize was a slightly “Charlie Brown” style, juniper tree. The little cowboys were so excited to get the tree setup in the house. I retrieved the Christmas decor boxes from storage. With Big W supervising, the little cowboys completed all of our Christmas decorating. Our Christmas tree has at least 4 strings of lights upon it. Small, large, chili pepper and even pumpkin varieties are strung throughout the branches. The majority of the ornaments reside near the bottom 3 feet of branches. Mr. C’s longest reach is about the same level. Even our taxidermied moose head sports a string of Christmas lights, across his antlers. Big W helped wrap most of the presents, this year. He was able to use his Kindergarten writing skills, to fill out all the gift cards. Mr. C was very intrigued with baking a birthday cake for Jesus. His favorite part was the frosting.

We have had a rather mild winter, so far. The snow has never gotten more than 2 1/2 inches deep, before melting away. The nights have gotten cold, nearing 0*F on several occasions. The high temperatures have been in the 30s or better, most days. It always amazes me, no matter how cold the air, the warmth of the sun shining on your back. I know it must feel wonderful to the livestock, melting away the morning’s frost. The cattle listen intently for the first sound of the tractor’s engine. This sends them into a chorus of noise, welcoming the feed tractor’s coming arrival. The livestock has our daily chore routine memorized. The sound of the front door slamming, alerts the sheep as to our where abouts. They begin shaking off the morning cold, making their way towards the feeders. Our livestock guard dog, Bo, resembles a fluffy, white, polar bear, snuggled in the hay. He has spent all night patrolling for predators, recharging with a morning nap. We follow our chore route, chopping frozen ice from watering tanks, along the way. The water tanks usually have 2 inches of ice formed on the surface, from the previous night’s freezing temperatures. We also chop ice on a nearby frozen pond, for the cattle. These ice layers are much thicker. Occasionally, a new watering hole has to be formed, requiring an 8-10 inches thick block of ice to be removed. Livestock water is a precious commodity in our lifestyle.

Looking back on the previous year, there have definitely been changes to our normal routines. I feel all have had a silver lining, in spite of them. We have managed to stay closer to home, except for a few short trips for errands. Even these required trips have become more condensed, with less stops. This has made us more successful with meal planning and monthly shopping lists. We have also utilized online shopping options, along with smaller local businesses, more often. Less time gone, meant more time to accomplish projects at home. This year has also reminded me of the importance of food preservation and storage. The quality and flavor of home preserved foods surpasses commercial, every time. It is a very satisfying feeling, to be able to restock my kitchen pantry, from our own root cellar. Along with seeing the joy the little cowboys feel while eating homemade bread and butter pickles. It has helped me focus on gardening and growing plans for the coming year. There is something to be said about the joys of a simple life. I have also been reminded to let go of things I cannot control. My first task at hand is taking care of my family and animals. Everything else comes after. If time allows, I can then approach the next task. Otherwise, I add it to my ever growing prayer list and move on. God is way better at solving problems than me anyway. I am by no means perfect, but can be considered a recovering OCD, people pleasing, bargain hoarder. E for effort. I am constantly reminded of Mother Theresa’s quote, “ The most important thing you can do, is to go home and love your family”. It helps ground me amongst the ever changing world. So here’s hoping your 2021 is an even better year, filled with the simple joys from this thing we call, life.