Sunday, February 20, 2011

Are you listening,

The morbid month of January has passed, and Cupid brought in his hearts for February, directing the winds and snows to focus on driving mortals like me unequivocally mad and crazy with frustration. There was a time I told people who complained about the cold and snow to move somewhere where it was warm, and Old Man Winter would not show his cold blustery face...but that is no longer...everywhere has snow and cold....BUT, times are a changin, I can hear it in the wind. I heard whispers last night as the wind whipped around the old oaks, raced into the chimes, and whistled and played tag around the corners of our house. This morning the sun gazed upon the bobbing empty seed pods, and smiled as if it too had heard the whisperings rolling in on the gusts of wind, hushed secrets of the spring Gods, heard only by those who listen very carefully. Mother Nature will carefully shield the newborn breezes with snow showers, and ice, but never the less they are there,...., hiding in the old oak limbs, peaking around the forlorn branches, checking into the squirrels nests, and rocking the gourd bird houses. The next few months will be hide and seek for the youngsters, before finally resting on the clouds nestling in the blue skies. Revealing their arrival with soft warn rain drops ... all will know....spring has arrived.

Meanwhile, with last Falls lingering brown leaves sliding and dancing on the ice left by last week’s thaw....I creep across the tundra with water bucket in hand, carrying water to the chickens, and alpacas each morning and afternoon, all the while cussing the attributes of nature, and cursing the fact that the older I get each spring, the harder the task of keeping animals warm and fed. The geese have been laying eggs for weeks now, and each egg freezes with the rise of the moon. Age must be getting to them to...don't they know it’s still below zero out most of the time. Or is this their own special practice time before the real task arrives. The alpacas have ventured out into the pasture, which means the thaw has taken a good amount of snow down, and the drifts have become level with the land. The lone female turkey now calls again and again into the empty cold day, but there will be no mate for her this year....and even tho she has made it thru the angry winter this year....spring will not bring a brood for her to cradle, and she must contend herself with the fact that she has also reached the age of retirement, and must settle into the long hours of boredom.

This week was time to break out of the prisms of white and grey, and travel north to the land of snowmobiles, ice shacks, and cross country skis. Awaking the animals at 5 AM with feed cups banging, and dogs a barking....the alpacas watched with astonishment as not only did I fill their feed cups, but also brought the hay for them to eat rather than later in the day. A sure signal I would be gone the day. Leaving around six, the dark sky promised sun later as now clouds were present. A few miles down the road, there was a whisper in my ear....watch for the deer, ....and sure enough not more than 50 feet down the road a doe stood poised to cross into the next field. Unsure of her next move I slowed down to a crawl as she watched me approach, with the headlights in her eyes....within 10 feet of her, she suddenly decided to cross the road, and as the first hoof hit the icy pavement she lost her balance and slipped down to her knees and for a second faltered, slipping and sliding, and then finally regaining her balance and sped across into the woods and safety. Had it not been for that brief thought that crossed my mind I surely would have not slowed down and she would not have made it another day. The rest of the ride was uneventful, cept for traveling down Highway B....I came up on a coyote crossing the road in a hurry, but hitting the soft snow bank, became immersed in a snow bank, and its back legs were trapped for a few minutes as he struggled to overcome the soft snow and continue into the woods. It was warm and animals were moving early that morning, all of us traveling alone, onto destinations of anticipation. I traveled down Highway 8 this time, unsure of the truck we have just purchased, and road conditions, this road is more heavily traveled, especially by logging trucks should any mishap emerge, there would be help close by. With Tim trucking down the highways of Ohio, this was the safest bet. The sun rose, melted last night’s icy roads, and arrived in Michigan in record time.

The girls and I visited the thrift shops, where many treasures were displayed, awaiting new homes. The thrift stores there are well stocked, and well kept up. I found a heavy iron for quilting, a ceramic Betty Crocker Pie Plate for baking, and a traveling stuffed furry companion to ride in the passenger seat of Tim's rig. Many drivers carry mascots in their passenger seat, and it was time Tim followed suit...so Amos, a fat, cute, cuddly 2 foot monkey now has earned his right full place sailing down the highways in a big white cab. I am sure he will have many stories to tell in the next few years.

Back home again, later that evening, having gained a bit of respite from the boredom, and beating the heavy fog that settled in that nite,( due to the warm air currents and the cold layers of snow), it was a break from the humdrum that settles in at this time here at the homestead. It is time to scavenge thru the seed catalogs, write out the lists for the garden, changing to different plants this year, scanning the new items, leaving out the veggies that weren't so popular. Time to dig out the folders for the taxes, and spend the weekend up to our elbows in paper work. This will be Tim's first full weekend home in a while so must take advantage of doing things that have been on hold.

In the meantime, will be listening to the winds, watching for the first new arrivals of spring, and slide into a galaxy of perpetual summer filled dreams.


FOOT NOTE.....Winter weather warnings are out again, we are due for a huge snowstorm, 10-15 inches or more starting tonite....this time I am prepared, the bird feeders are filled, the animals double dosed with feed, the snow blower ready to go, and the mood ......well that sucks...but oh well, it is after all still February

1 comment:

  1. It is white rain that falls beyond the 21st of march....love you, alleycat

    ReplyDelete