Tracks in the Snow

Hauling grain to the chickens before dusk.

With that 1" of fresh powder last night, the whole barnyard and door yard were refreshed just like someone shook the etch-a-sketch and made the canvas blank. I paused before I stepped out the door early this morning. I was about to "spoil" something quite beautiful with my boot tracks. But onward! Chores must be done! Animals fed and watered!

Between critters and boots of various sizes, the footsteps around the place are many; our favorite paths and places to sit or stand in the sun apparent. Then there are all the gliding things, sleds, snowboards, skis and the like. Some tire tracks, of course, are on the driveway. Enter the woods and the tracks become a puzzling mystery of who, why, when? Joseph and I saw this snowshoe hare track in our woods with what we think is a blood laced urine spot. Prentice saw the tracks of a mouse disappear "into thin air" in the middle of the field until he noticed the tell-tale flight feather marks of a winged raptor that had swooped down and snatched it up. An owl?

All of that is to say, we are enjoying winter here on the Village Farm. We hope you are too, in whatever ways feel right.

We are getting our 2011 CSA brochures ready and will be updating the printable sign up form on our website this week. We have interviewed some potential apprentices and have enjoyed those meetings very much. We are still delivering winter squash and eggs to the Belfast Coop.

The stack of seed catalogs is calling. . .

That is all for now!

Best wishes to one and all.

Polly, for all of us at Village Farm