February News

We are in the blissful but brief few weeks of our true farm break.  It is the time after all our storage food has gone out, and before any seedlings get started for the upcoming season.  The shell of the farm still chugs along, but our focus paid to it is at its most minimal.  I visit the barn animals twice a day, mornings, and evenings, to give out food, water, and some attention.  The horse (Stetson) is always the first to greet me.  He stands waiting with his head poked out from his run-in stall, neighing loudly when he hears the front door of the house open and close.

 I read a book last year about some animals having a “morphic field” with their owners, an unspoken connection that alerts the animal to the returning home of their humans.  The book had endless anecdotes as well as very formal trials to prove the author’s theory.  Kyle and I ran a few very un-scientific experiments after reading this book to determine if Homer our dog has a “morphic field”. The answer is definitively no.  Disappointing as that was, I started to notice Stetson seemed to be always waiting in the same spot when we arrived home, although this also coincided with dinner time.   Perhaps further investigations will reveal if Stetson and I have a “morphic” connection, or he just has an exceptionally good stomach clock.

 I like the morning routine of the animal chores, the sun just peaking up over the pond, the wind usually still, the snow making everything quiet.  Sometimes the top of the sheep’s backs will be frosted in the mornings, having spent a few pre-dawn hours outside of their shelter.  Stetson leans his head over the stall awaiting his bucket of grain and will have delicate icicles encasing his nose whiskers, evidence of a recent drink from the water tub.  In the mornings hay gets spread out into the bigger pasture, and next the barn cats get released from their nightly confinement in the back room.  Recently in the subzero weather, the barn cats became temporary house cats.  They adapted amazingly quickly to their status change, immediately claiming space on our bed, and shamelessly stretching out in front of the fire.  But after the nights indoors the cats were eager to head out again for the day, even with temperatures still in the single digits. 

After the animals are taken care of, the day slips away easily with some lounging, toddler entertaining, maybe an item or two checked off our limited winter “to-do” list, and then often a cross country ski outing.  Homer and I have been cruising through the woods enjoying the snow that has held up well for skiing in this cold weather.  I imagine that dogs think us humans are pitifully slow on our two legs, and I like that on skis I am better able to fulfil Homer’s wolf-like instinct to travel.   We see all sorts of tracks in the woods, deer, coyote, rabbit.  The footprints of the different animals are interestingly regular, showing they are about as repetitive in their travels as Homer and me with my skis.

    With the disappearing sun, it is back out to the barn to the reverse set of chores. Large animals in with hay, cats locked safely away in the barn or house.  I am trying to enjoy the down time and not think too much about the busy season that is hovering right around the corner.  Of course, each summer is a whirlwind of an adventure in its own way, but for now I am enjoying the tail end of winter fun.    

Summer C.S.A. : sign ups are open.  Thank you to those who have already signed up!   We are offering pickups on Tuesday evenings at the Earle Farm in Center Conway and at our farm in Cornish. 

Sign up online: www.hosacfarm.com/csa