Generally speaking, we don’t get as much snow accumulation as some places in the north country. We jokingly say that we get twelve inches of wind with our snow. I’ve never been able to make a friend of the wind. Winter isn’t so bad if you don’t have wind blowing snow in your face and down your neck.
is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Beautiful pictures!! I love the cold as long as it is not wet. I do like your cat, speed-scooch backwards. And in the South, usually what we have is "wet" cold!! When we have snow, everything closes. If there is a hint of snow, schools begin closing. NO one knows how to travel in the snow here. I visited Austria at Christmas one year with my daughter. It was so-o-o much fun. We did the Sound of Music tour by bus (with several feet of snow on the ground), traveled all around Salzburg, and enjoyed the sights of ice skaters. In Vienna the parents were out with their carriages, plastic over the children, but nevertheless all were out to enjoy Christmas festivities. It was soooo much fun. I don’t like being closed up indoors. This is quiet possibly why we hear "flu season" or "cold season." I’m not buying it. I’m layering and going outdoors!!
The pictures are beautiful and I really like the one of the horse! Just beautiful. Wyoming is such a wonderful place I have seen it in the summer but never in the winter thanks for sharing!
I love the beautiful pictures. Wyoming is one of my favorite places to visit. I would live there if my husband liked cold weather. He would be like your cat. I have music by David Walburn. He sings about Montana and this time of year being the time "to have a little fun" because "meats in the freezer, let’s go skiing." Thanks for the pictures that you post. They make me dream of going back.
Shery, I just love how you blend your beautiful photography with your stories…:) I always think of the blue western sky when I look at them… and the back ground of your blog page too for that matter! It brings back memories of girlhood out west… Thanks for posting them… and I’m with ya on the getting outside in winter… I was peaking out my kitchen window checking out " the girls" basking in the sun in their run (during our last heat wave… 17 degree’s) I think it was, and the thought occured to me that I ought to head on out and snap a few pix of their feathers sparkling in the sun… I poured another cup of coffee and went on pondering the idea then went on to something else… Tomorrow! I’ll do it tomorrow…. Pray for sun! Stay warm and pat that beautiful horse on the neck for me will ya?
Deb~
I am loving loving these fotos of yours! Like getting postcards from far away!
I love your photos and the birds are just adorable. The photos make me want to come and visit the land and all the wonderful animals you have. I love the beauty of winter from my living room window but when I have to travel to work or get somewhere in a car – I hate it! And I am one of those individuals that should be off the road when snow starts. I am counting down the days until Spring arrives and looking forward the "warm sun hitting my face". Have a wonderful day!
Just wanted to say that I enjoyed your blog and the pictures! I myself am not a stranger to long and cold winters. Being from Alaska, where it is winter about seven months out of the year; I commiserate with you.
I loved seeing the picture the fluffy and frosty horse. It reminded me of my horse "Jewel" that I had growing up. How soft her fur against my face as I rubbed it in to her neck to keep my nose warm, and that warm wild smell that can only be truly appreciated be a girl with a horse.
Shery, I’m what you call a fair weather outdoors person too. The cold keeps me from getting out too much. Once I do it isn’t so bad, but I don’t like all those layers. We are having a heat wave this week here in Michigan~ Maybe a ride on my ol horse will be the draw to get me out and get some exercise. Beautiful pictures by the way!
Loved the pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Sheri, We have had a lot of snow here too,its beautiful,I don’t mind,but I have had trouble with daddy staying in the house,he is all man,at 83,and thinks he can do it all,and it is really wearing me out emotionally,I am totally terrorized that he will get out there and fall and freeze to death.I don’t have four wheel drive.Last year I wrecked my car because I was so worried about him,went through a barbed wire fence.There is nothing I can do,at least if something happens to him,He will be happy.Our farm is equally breathtakingly beautiful.It is simply heaven.Stay warm,blessed be,carol branum,lamar mo.themofarmersdaughtr@blogspot.com
My husband grew up near the Canadian border in upstate NY so is OVER winter and doesn’t even talk much about it amazing beauty, although he loves the out of doors! I on the other hand, love winter, and have only spent a few years of my life living where there really is a winter. Here in California, winter doesn’t bring us all those beautiful sights you shared, and there is clearly a changing of the seasons and a turning inward. We live in a yurt and when all the flaps are down on the windows it is clearly an indoor cabin lifestyle, with a wood stove going. I keep telling myself I will sit and read yet still the chores of farm life, being we can grow food year around here, keep me out of doors! Thanks so much for sharing, what a beautiful life you live. How fortunate are we all?
Love, Terces
Having moved from Hawaii, then San Diego, then Kansas City, I was not very impressed with Winter. It took a few years and an ice storm to really see the beauty in the cold outdoors, and I try to spend 30 minutes a day out no matter what.
Pretty pictures Shery, great article, Carol
Thanks so much for the posting, love the pictures as well. Lovely thoughts about appreciating each season.
Oh Shery,
I have to laugh @ your "when mother nature calls & we gals have to shed 40 lbs of clothing" comment…hahahha! soooo true!
I took a walk this morning around our mini orchard & my small lavender field….yikes,,,got some water/freeze damage…but that’s the way it is up here.
As for the stir crazy cats…you could not have described ‘my’ kitties any better…they must be related to yours! lol!
Well the good thing about this time of year…. it will be over soon, but till then…pass the hot cocoa & mint cookies!
hugz from the Inland NW
It gets windy here in the *Thumb* area of Michigan they say we are a good area for the big wind mills for the wind we get. I understand finding winter beautiful but hate the wind. My dad likes feeding the birds but since he is unable to get out and do that anymore I feed them, but not as regular as he did. Boy when the feeders are empty you hardly see any birds but once they are filled every bird in the tri-county are at those feeders it seems…lol.
Keep warm.
Oh, I know about the wind! The only thing I remind myself is that the frigid winds of winter become our blessed breezes on a hot August day when we are sweltering in the heat putting up hay!
We had our first 40 degree day yesterday after a month and a half of 10-20’s- let me tell you, all the horses and cows were simply basking on their sides in the sun- true peace. I so appreciate your ranch stories- we tend to get isolated from other folks living the same lifestyle we do!
Ditto to the photos. So beautiful. While I am not a fan of cold weather, ironically some of my favorite art work is of winter scenes, go figure. Winter to me is best enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee from a cozy seat by a large roaring fireplace positioned perfectly to view the snowy beauty of nature out a large picture window.
I love the feel of winter portrayed in your photos. I don’t think there is any season I really dislike. There is something I love about going out to feed the sheep in the coldest part of winter. My husband will say "do you mind helping" if his Father isn’t able to go. I wouldn’t mind going everyday. There is such a wonderful silence (other than the sheep noises) that you can’t find anywhere else when its dark and the snow is falling. And if you get in by the woolies its not so cold.
Thank you Shery for sharing your wonderful pictures! I live in Ky~we get a few flakes of snow now and then. Mostly rain~I am a sunshine person & a horse lover. I have always lived on a farm & love it. Have been to WY several times in the summer & Love the scenery. Have a happy blessed day~you have brightened my day! Ellen
Great pictures! I love the winter, snow etc… I too have not been able to befriend the wind, which is why I’m able to write this midday instead of being out riding. I train horses for a living in PA, but when it’s in the low 20’s with 30 mph winds I’m staying in! Cold wind makes even the sanest horse nuts! Happy Trails!
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I really like when people are expressing their opinion and thought. So I like the way you are writing.
I enjoy your site and I have bookmarked it, Kind Regards
Bernice Johanson