Rain, snow, cold, warm, snow, cold...

We have had such odd weather lately from freezing rain to heavy snow then horrid below freezing temperatures to almost 40 degrees, all in the same week.  Our lawn is paying the price.  The heavy rain on the frozen ground (covered by a thin layer of ice from the previous freezing rain) has created little ponds and puddles all over the place.  Now, it's snowing so all the puddles are becoming slushy snow.  As of late, we are unsure if we should be wearing snow or rain boots.

Life is pretty quiet on the farm, as to be expected in the middle of winter.  The hens are still doing well, they are 12 and strong!  They DO NOT like the snow and stay in the coop whenever there is snow on the ground.  

We are starting to plan for the spring.  Farmer J is now thinking that we should get a couple of sheep instead of goats.  After traveling in Ireland, I have always wanted a few sheep.  I would love to have the boys experience having some baby lambs on the farm as well-- we just have to make sure Farmer J doesn't want to cook them up for supper!!

The farmhouse is staying nice and warm.  The wood burning stove continues to work well.  I am still not a very good fire starter but I'm great at keeping a hot fire going throughout the day.  

The one major annoyance in the farm in the never ending amount of Box Elder bugs and Japanese Beetles that we find.  I can't tell you how many I flush down the toilet on a daily basis.  I thought they would just be a summer nuisance... but I was severely wrong!  

Better go...looks like JJ's school might be closing (due to the snow) after all!  

I'll leave you with some of J's recent pictures from a snow camping trip (staying in the below yurt) near one of the Great Lakes.