Appalachian Winter

~ Pounding Mill Road ~

It’s easy to love Appalachia, especially in Spring's hopefulness, Summer's drowsiness and, perhaps most of all, Autumn. All year long, I relish listening to YoYo Ma  and Edgar Meyer join Mark O'Conner in O'Conner's breathlessly beautiful Appalachian Waltz. To love Appalachia in winter, however, requires a different skill set and forced concentration of appreciation for bare trees, stripped of color-full beauty, standing in honest nakedness, outlined against a sullen gray sky.

~ walnut tree ~

Drifts of snow on the upper mountain reaches ring our valley in every direction. On mountain sides snow lays in stark relief, a smattering of dandruff against bare trees, a reminder of old folks with thinning hair. The wind moves at a pace strong enough to make the sugar maple branches dance and the still needing to be cut butterfly bush scrapes against the window.

~ Maiden Spring ~

Kitten, so called because he still hasn’t revealed his name, perches on the cat castle, batting paw against window, trying to catch branch and leaves, the skeetch of branch uneasy in his ears.

~ Kitten ~

On Saturday, once again the clothes were left on the line overnight as that day provided too full of work to finish. On Sunday I'm guessing the more righteous nattered amongst  themselves in indignent disapproval at my blatant, to them anyway, disregard of the Sabbath. They forget Sabbath was made for man and not man for Sabbath and because my house and farm sit on a knoll, it’s easy to see when I’m breaking Pharaciacal law. It’s not so easy for others as their enclaves are off the road with house and barns situated so activites are hidden from view.

Here, clothes dance saucily on the line, bras and bloomers flinging against shirts and jeans as night gown arms reach to hug the sky. Since Dave’s death, my list of “sins” grows, almost daily, and I’ve been known to both wash clothes and hang them out on Sunday.  Mercy! A photo, taken on a frigid, winter’s day show clothes frozen solid - jeans and flannel nightgown tossed about by a hard wind and, should you get too close, would exchange severe pain for such boldness.

~ clothes, frozen stiff ~

Appalachia in winter isn’t for the faint of heart and is the season of single, even minus, double digits, harsh winds, spitting sky and short, yet somehow long, days without sunshine.  In January 1996 Dave and I saw the outside thermometer at minus 35 degrees...that's below zero! This year, in February, it rested at minus 20 degrees and God alone knows what's in store these next few months.

Winter is also the season of crystal clear skies and brilliant stars splitting the darkness, the Milky Way flung in a diamond path stretching into eternity, a quarter moon pulling aside heaven's drapery and air so cold it hurts to breath. Such gifts are honest and raw in their tender beauty and tears, frozen, stay on my cheeks.

                God constantly overwhelms me with His gifts.

No matter the weather, outside chores still have to be done and by the time I’m bundled up, the Michelin Tire Man pales in comparison. Silk long johns, fleece lined jeans or sweat pants, long sleeve tee shirt, wool sweater or fleece jacket, Dave’s old ski coat (patched with duck tape), balaclava, brimmed hat, wool socks and water proof boots complete the not so lovely “ensamb”.

'Tis a vision to behold, I promise.

On Saturday past, Gina, a neighbor, brought me a gallon of anti-freeze and, bless her!, stayed to help load the Polaris Ranger with wood. It was a full day before she arrived ---

- treats for dogs and house cats,
-devotions and coffee for me,
-Lightly, the mare and barn cats fed,
-hay, thrown down from the loft,
-checked vehicles fluids, filled with life saving necessities,
-tire pressure checked,
-topped off gas tanks,
de-icer put in water tank,
-three loads of laundry washed and hung on the line and,
-using the tractor, I set out two 5'x5' round bales of hay for my horses. At day's end, I delivered a round bale of hay to Gina and Steve who live 2.5 miles down the asphalt, turned into gravel, road and it was C.O.L.D. by the time I'd delivered the hay and still had that same 2.5 miles to drive home. My tractor doesn't have a cab or canopy and, once the sun goes down, even wool garments are "challenged" by the low temps. Gina followed me to and from her house; safety first, doncha know?, and a mug of hot tea quickly brought warmth to my innards.

All jobs are important but one of the most important is the de-icer. Using three strands of bailer twine, I plait a rope to keep the de-icer stationed in the center of the water tank. The twine is fed through the fence to plug in the de-icer which keeps the water from freezing and, as importantly, it keeps the water at a "drinkable" temperature, ensuring the horses will continue to drink even as outside temps plummet. All animals, even humans, are predominately water and we have to replenish our water in order to keep our bodies functioning,  healthy and well.

Even so, some mornings I still find frozen water that needs to be chopped and removed so the horses have access. Perhaps I should think about installing two de-icers but shudder at the electric bill.

In looking up the web address for my Ranger I found...be still my heart! Polaris has brought back the Indian motorcycle!!! (Is that too many exclamation points? No, I don't think so either.) The Indian is an old time, and, for a while, the only American made motorcycle with beautiful lines, gorgeous colors and I want one!  but only if it comes with a side car -grin-. It's not common knowledge that in my wild and frantic youth, I used to own, and ride, a Honda 350 Super Eagle motorcycle. Oh the stories I won't tell...

Surprised?

Inside, wood flames flicker against a stove window that needs cleaning but will wait until end of week when it's warmer and I can clean ashes out as well. It's only been a few days and the wood supply is dwindling at a rapid rate so I fill the wood stove then bank it so it "simmers" and the wood burns more slowly. Usually. Unless there's a stiff wind, like today, the wind sucks both oxygen and heat from the stove and house. It's a three-layer day today inside...cami, long sleeve tee shirt and sweater along with wool socks and slippers but after the Ranger is unloaded of wood supply. That's also because I like a cool house and refuse to live in a hot house; anyway, a cooler house is healthier for all of us.

Appalachia, in all seasons, is beautiful and, yes, winter is the hardest season. The extreme cold, snow, ice and wind mean outside work is more difficult and dangerous and keeping us warm inside requires a lot more physical effort. It's still easier than how Daddy grew up on his family's WV hardscrabble farm. Their farmhouse had only one coal fireplace and one cook stove to provide heat. The boys slept upstairs, the girls downstairs and Grandmother and Granddaddy slept in the living room which also had two iron frame beds and was where the one fireplace was located. The boys and girls would take heated bricks to warm the beds and, with at least two to a bed, sleep under half dozen, or more!, hand made quilts. In the frigid winter morning, they'd flap the bed covers to scatter the snow that had crept in through the clapboards and lay on quilt tops...no such thing as insulation...before dashing downstairs to dress by the fire.

~ Daddy's WV homeplace ~

The first winter Dave and I lived here, Jan 1996, because we had no central heat (or electricity except for a couple of downstairs rooms) we used a pot belly coal/wood stove and the same soapstone wood stove I now use. By November 1995, we'd taken out all the walls to put in electrical lines and insulation and how well I remember going upstairs to shovel snow from inside the house to outside the house! Sheet rock walls weren't put in until Spring '96, a day of celebration I assure you. (When we first got electricity throughout the house, Dave and I put lamps in each room, turned them on and drove down the valley until we were out of sight of the house. Then, slowly we drove back toward the house and, as the 'lit up like a Christmas tree' house came into view we exclaimed, "WOW! Look at that beautiful place! Wonder who lives there?" Ah yes, we had some silly, memorable times!) Maybe I should start a series of blog posts on restoring our lovely old farmhouse...what's your vote? 

~ Ephesians 6:10 ~

Pride goeth before a fall but I admit to being just a tad bit proud I'm able to continue on the farm, to do the work set before me. I know it's all due to God's strength and, many times daily, as I stand at a sink, I see the above verse as both reminder and prayer. Yes, there are days when tears flow freely as I struggle to finish morning chores knowing it's only hours before evening chores but He helps and provides. Yes, by now I wanted the farm sold and the animals and I moved but my plan isn't His plan. As I've told Him time and time again, "Lord, I want your perfect will, not your permissive will for my life. Please, don't let me get in your way and run before You; let me follow You." Some days it's easier to pray than others but, I continue to ask for wisdom and He gives it; I ask for faith and He increases it; I ask for strength and He provides. Always.

These past almost twenty years have been an adventure of epic proportions and I wouldn't have traded any of them for anything. I miss Dave with every molecule in my body but accept God's  perfect plan for both Dave and myself. When God does say, "It's time", I plan on being ready for the next great adventure but, until then, I'm enjoying another Appalachian Winter at Thistle Cove Farm...where it's beautiful one day and perfect the next.

Blessings ~ memories ~ God's gifts of wisdom, strength, courage, faith, safety ~ the work He sets before me ~ sturdy, pioneer stock ~ beautiful music ~ Appalachia ~

Oh Lawz, It's Nasty Cold

~ frozen laundry ~

It warmed up ten whole degrees today...woohoo! It was around seven above zero when the sun came up, not sure what it was when I got up, around 5:30. Like a lot of folks, I shudder to think of my oil and propane bill and the wood stove hasn't cooled down in weeks. It's a real drag and, yes, that's meant literally. Going to the barn, in wind chills well below zero, is rough; even the dogs look at me like I'm crazy and seem to say, "Are you sure those stinkin' barn cats need food?" They think it's okay to go out in the frigid temps to have fun but to do work...hmmm, not so much. And some folks call them dumb animals.

~ Daddy John going to feed his cattle ~

Around here, most farmers wait until, at the bare minimum, daylight to do chores but it's an individual decision to wait until it warms up, the sun shines, the wind isn't howling...there are a  bunch of reason to make the choice and generally based on the safety factor. I hate to get on the tractor when the wind is howling, yet, that's when the animals need hay most. Due to the wind, we have deep snow drifts and huge areas where there isn't any snow; also, these photos were taken on different days.

~ Dandy Man, background with HayJ, left, and Bo, right ~

A combination of factors enter into when I put out hay. Obviously, the most important factor is if the animals are out of hay. That makes it an easy decision. If the wind is howling, that's another negative factor and if there's any sort of moisture...I get the hay out as quickly and safely as possible. Usually, the hay has a round, metal ring around it to keep it from being trampled, but, it's been so cold, I put this round bale closer to the house...better for my safety. Horses produce heat from the gut out and need protein to produce heat in order to stay warm and healthy. All my animals have free choice shelter, water that's warmed with a de-icer and free choice hay. As with humans, it's easier and less expensive to stay well than get well. 
I set out three round bales of hay and do other necessary chores; all that takes me around three hours. Daddy John could do it in a lot less time but he's more comfortable on a tractor than am I; I tend to go v.e.r.y. slowly and carefully. I'd rather take longer and be safe than hurry up and risk a doctor or hospital visit. 

~ barn door trench ~

A couple of weeks ago, it was warm enough to dig out the tractor; the door being frozen due to ground heave. Ground heave is caused by freeze thaw cycles and the mud had frozen to the door, and, using a mattox, I dug a trench so I could open and close the barn door. Freezing weather and door locks do not a good partnership make and, next, the door lock froze. I tried a lot of things before resorting to boiling water poured over the lock. Someone said, "weren't you afraid you'd break the lock?" Trust me, that was the least of my worries!  The same measures were used to open the lock on the wood barn and, tomorrow, I'm going to bring a couple of weeks worth of wood to the back porch. 
When we first moved to the farm, I asked Dave for three things: a well for drinking water, a gas stove for cooking and a wood stove for heating. Our well is 650 feet deep and produces 75 gallons of sweet limestone water a minute; our Acorn cook stove has gas burners and I've written about our beautiful wood stove that heats a portion of the house.

~ mud season ~

There are five seasons on a farm, winter, spring, summer, autumn and mud with mud season happening, on and off, all year 'round. There are times the mud is so deep and thick, my Muck boots are sucked off my feet and not something that bears too close a look when one considers muck...manure, urine, crap and...what about the 'k'? -smile-

~ l to r, Levi, Gypsy, Tippy ~

Back in the house, Levi, Gypsy and Tippy have to be shooed out of the bathroom tub so I can have a bone warming hot soak. After being in the cold for so many hours, my knees feel like shattered glass and only a hot water soak alleviates the pain...well, hot water and a few aspirin. Today was a red letter day; Dr. Ann removed Levi's nubbins so he'll  spend his life healthier although p'raps not happier but he'll never know different and a loving family member. 

~ l to r, Sam, Sadie, Sophie ~

The dogs crowd on the sofa, in the living room where the wood stove keeps all toasty. At the moment, the bone sucking cold is making life difficult and I've heard a "super storm" is headed our way tomorrow. I'm not sure what that means but it sounds like more cold, more snow, more winds and more pain. ugh. Tuck me into prayer, would you, please?

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein ~ 

Today's Miracles ~ sunshine ~ heathy animals ~ successful surgery ~ tub of hot water ~ aspirin ~ good boots ~ round bales of alfalfa hay ~