Farming In A Winter Wonderland

“I can never remember
whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve
or
whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.”
Dylan Thomas

Blue running in the snow

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  1. Rene Foust says:

    Sounds just like heaven to me! I hope you get to experience a blizzard and I am sorry that your pipes froze. It has been really cold and snowy here in Maryland since before Christmas and I am just so happy that I have not had to fix any frozen pipes…it is a worry. So happy for you.

  2. Louise Hanson says:

    I can see a summer task coming on for you and hubby: wrapping well all pipes above ground and making sure all pipes below ground are deep enough. I’m sure you must know that if you have electricity to the barn, you can get a heater to put in the water trough to keep it from freezing. Just be sure to secure the cord so the ponies can’t chew it.

  3. Wendy Curling says:

    Oh my kindred spirit. We even wear the same boots. We had 10 inches of very uncharacteristic snow here in Virginia last night so we were up early checking on critters and breaking ice in water buckets. We are building a farm where once there was nothing so the task is daunting but I love it to my soul and strangely enough I enjoy it even more with snow on the ground! I always enjoy your posts and always start reading my Mary Jane magazine from back to front so I can read you first. (I’ve got an old truck project, too!)

  4. Diana Henretty says:

    Blizzards are wonderful, just be prepared, I’m learning that day by day in these Ozarks.
    I’ve learned to buy double all year long to stock up for these Ozark winters.
    Just got thru some below zero nights here, sometimes temps only in the teens in the day time, but my sewing machine buzzes along on my kitchen table while making
    baby size pillow cases for my newest grandsons.
    Now the forecast says a “huge winter storm with snow and ice” is headed our way next week…..YAY
    There’s nothing like a true blue winter, the cold snowy days, frosty mornings,
    and then the little corner of your heart where hope waits for spring!
    Happy Wishes, Diana, Noel, Mo

  5. Margo;) Jakoubek says:

    Yes it is romantic. Until the pipes freeze right? Save those stings of bailing twine to crochet into a lovely durable grocery bag, or a wonderful boot room rug! They are also treated with rodent repellent that does a wonderful job or repelling deer in your garden or from around your roses in the summer. IF. IF you can rescue enough from your children and ALL they manage to tie up with them. Including one another!
    Enjoy and Happy Blizzards!!!

  6. glenda woodward says:

    Thank you for sharing. Looks like you are doing pretty well for a newbie. Here is one thing I do with the twine. I braid my horses tail , bend it in half below the bone . Then lay a few long strands of twine in the loop and secure with vet wrap. Keeps a tail nice and clean for a while and the knots in the ends help with swating. I hope that makes sense . Keep up the good work ! Love your place. GW

  7. pat says:

    Well, here is an idea to use the twine….learn to crochet it or knit it and make sturdy shopping bags from it. It would be stiff to work with but they sure would last a long time! Macrame for hanging flower pots like they used to (back in the day). My grandpa (a REAL farmer) used to bundle his newspapers and tie them with twine. Just a couple of thoughts…

    BTW, if you do knit or crochet use really, really big hooks/needles. : )

  8. Rebekah, I just purchased a poultry water heater from Tractor Supply and it works great. WHen the temp was 6 outside, there wasn’t an ice crystal anywhere on their water. I saw they had heated buckets for horses as well. They range about $50. But so worth not having to haul water everyday. Also I live in NC and I just found this place called Shopnational.com they are based in Lexington NC and I saw they have cuddly duds. They always have specials, check them out. I am glad you are fitting right into your farm life. oh and we woke up this morning to frozen pipes. I must’ve accidentally turned the water off, we always leave it dripping? Hubby is out now thawing out. Be BLessed. Neta

  9. Nan Roberts says:

    Rebekah,
    Is the chicken house insulated? Come to think of it, the barn isn’t, is it. Seems like barns aren’t insulated. So what happens to the animals where it gets to way, way below zero? I live on the Central Oregon Coast, and grew up on the Northern California Coast in the redwoods, so though I have been in snowy weather, even below zero sometimes, a lot of this is foreign to me.

    I was told in December when we had a freeze to disconnect the hoses from the house. They are full of water and when that freezes, it can drive ice back into the faucet, doing bad things.

    Usually I just bring the hoses inside for the winter, because it usually rains all winter here. But this year is looking drought-like. I have to actually *water* the potted plants sometimes. In January! It’s unreal.

    THanks for the details and the pics and the updates. I have a heavy Carharrt work jacket. I love it. Not fashionable, but it’s Carharrt. And warm.

  10. Keenan says:

    You are so cool! I do not believe I’ve read through something like this before.
    So good to discover somebody with a few original thoughts on this subject.
    Seriously.. thank you for starting this up. This website
    is one thing that is needed on the internet, someone with a little originality!

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A Year at the Farm In Photos

2013 was my first calendar year living on a farm. Whew!

I ended the year feeling rather overwhelmed. Both my husband and I lost friends at the end of the year and it put us in a contemplative mood. (another way to say “in a funk”)

Man, we’ve got so far to go…

And then I started looking back at the photographs I took this past year.

And that made me realize that

Man, we’ve come so far…

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  1. Rebecca says:

    What a beautiful tribute to all the work you’ve done and the lessons you’ve learned. The pictures are wonderful and the final lesson says it all. I have to remind myself to do that each day…..just enjoy the day and the moment.

  2. Adrienne says:

    What an amazing year you’ve had and the photos are a visual scrapbook that will last forever. Thank you for sharing!

  3. Jan says:

    Before I forget to ask, do you make your own pizza crust? A recipe would be great, since you are the MASTER…
    A wonderful year for you, Rebekah! Your farm is beautiful….The best part is that you saved it and you are breathing new life into your treasure!
    I also cry often, and am happy to know that I am not alone. We are ‘deep feelers’…

  4. Love your journey. Love how you share it. Love you. Welcome back.

  5. Robin in New Jersey says:

    Beautiful, Beautiful! Your farm is shaping up just lovely! Thank you for sharing it with us.

    What kind of pizza dough do you use/make? That pizza looks amazing!

    We wish we could have chickens here. Maybe someday.

    Oh, and the black snake…I would have had a heart attack and died!

    Happy New Year!

  6. loreta says:

    Great blog I loves the picture journey.

  7. Bonnie ellis says:

    You have done remarkably well. You’re not a city girl any longer. Congratulations!
    ,
    .

  8. Marilyn Khadduri says:

    Dear Rebekah,

    Thanks so much for sharing all the lovely pictures of your progress; they are so
    beautiful! I know it has been a lot of hard work, but then I look at the pic of the
    farm in the different seasons, and all the beauty that season brings, and I am so
    happy for you! I, too, am looking for some piece of land that has a few hills, water,
    and good soil. Maybe this is the year I will find it. 🙂 For now, I will take your advice
    and enjoy my home at the present.
    Trusting that 2014 will be filled with much joy and progress for you and your family.

    Love,
    Marilyn

  9. JoEllen says:

    What a wonderful post to wake up to and enjoy with my morning coffee! Thank you for the beautiful pictures and the sharing of your life with us — you always leave me with thoughts to ponder and put into practice. I may not be where I would like to be at the moment, but I have no idea what lies ahead so like you said, I will seek out the joy each day and rejoice in those around me. Love your horses too — I feel that way about a new rescue dog that we recently got — he rescued me as much as I rescued her — my dear, funny Lucy. May 2014 bring you even more joy in unexpected ways!!!!

  10. louise marie says:

    Sounds like your dad is an intelligent man. You also. i love this post. i wanted it to go on and on. Thank you for sharing your first year on the farm with us. It was delightful. i can’t get over the barn. It went from drab and deteriorating to good on the eyes, functional, and full of spirit. My word for the year 2014 is enjoy!

  11. debbi skinner says:

    i enjoy your blog very much! thank you for your time!

  12. Linda says:

    I am so overwhelmed by your pictures. So much has happened in one year. We have 5.5 acres that we plan to move to in a couple of years. Each year we add a little more to what we did the last year. It is so much fund. We have had chickens on our little farm that we go to daily now for almost 3 years and love them. My husband and I are truly looking forward to getting to enjoy our little farm as your family does. The only thing in Savannah GA we do not have snow…. what a bummer.

  13. Daniele says:

    Your farm looks wonderful!
    I’m always happy to hear about the animals, the building remodeling and all the other interesting things that takes place each month. Keep up the great work because its looking pretty darn good from here. 👏👏👏👏

  14. RhondaLane says:

    That was BEAUTIFUL! Thank you, thank you!

  15. Stephanie Cook says:

    Rebekah, this is lovely. I copied Learn to In-Joy into my homemade book of favorite quotes where I will continue to be inspired by it.
    Love what your Dad says, too, and love Mary Jane for bringing all this to me.

  16. Dena Corry says:

    Stunning record of your year!!! So happy that your farmgirl dreams are coming true.

    Blessings to you and yours,

    Dena

  17. Dorothy says:

    A year can make so much difference in a life. Thanks for sharing your year and helping me look forward – not back.

  18. Kelly Ryan says:

    Thank-you for sharing your lovely pictures! I have really enjoyed seeing your dream come to life! Thank-you also for being so compassionate to animals and giving good lives to your dog, horses and chickens. Happy 2014 to your and your family!

  19. Rebekah, this is so inspiring and joyful. What an amazing thing you and your family have done. Your farm is beautiful, and it shines with love. Thank you for letting us follow along on your journey. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this year!

  20. Joan says:

    Blessed with lots of hard work and imagination. Thanks for sharing. God Bless

  21. Connie says:

    What a Busy! wonderful year it was!!!

    Connie

  22. Pat says:

    I cannot imagine all the work that went into your lovely farm…but I can see you are happy, grateful, and loving every minute of it. What a dream come true for you and your family. I love it when other people can live their dreams!! And it must have been a real treat to do old fashioned caroling. It is so frowned on these days in neighborhoods. We used to go around to different houses and offer carols. Some people gave us hot chocolate and some gave us warm smiles but never were we asked not to… What a lovely life, a warm hearted you, a handsome cowboy husband, and a beautiful daughter! Amazing Grace indeed…

  23. colleen says:

    What a blessed year you have had and what a blessing it is to read about..Thank You!! Will be following you in 2014!

  24. Carol in NC says:

    What a difference a year makes! Your farm looks like a picture, so worth the hard work. I love what your dad said, which helps me to justify my endlessly long list of projects!

  25. Sharon says:

    Thank you for sharing Rebekah. You are truly an inspiration to me to keep dreaming.
    Your horses are beautiful!

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