Bittersweet

Two eggs today!  Whoopee!  Maybe spring's not that far away.  Five hens, two eggs.  When I get three a day, spring's definitely on the horizon! 

Admittedly, this Pollyanna's enthusiasm for winter has diminished a bit these last few days, what with the blizzard conditions, kneecap deep snow, and a shrinking complement of animal feed in the midst of a driveway that cannot be penetrated successfully.  Hence, the photo of Bittersweet at the end of this post, symbolizing the dichotomy of winter's tight grip on us at the moment. 

First a little data on American Bittersweet.  It's a vining member of the nightshade family, blooms late and carries over into winter with lovely clusters of bright red-orange seed pods.  It only grows where winters are cold.  It's always a delight to find clusters of the seedpods, which offer a sharp contrast against the grey trunks of small saplings and sometimes even rather tall trees, which host its rise.  

So, yes.  I still love snow and winter and I wouldn't want to live or reside anywhere else.  This is part of the adventure and we pay our dues to be a member of this club. 
As you know, we pride ourselves on being self-sufficient JOTOLR.  In fact, we planned for the possibility of an extended snow event long before it began.  We put up way more hay than we ever thought we'd need.  For the little bit of commerical feed we require for the pigs since we had a corn crop failure last summer...we bought ahead.  Twice.  Well...it still wasn't enough.  We called the feed store and asked if someone could deliver to our gate.  A couple of very generous store employees who live somewhat near us agreed to bring a restorative feed supply to us.  How grateful we were to get it.  Nonetheless, it still meant we had to haul it up...yes, UP...to the storage location.  We've been doing it in small leaps...MM with the slick-on-the-snow plastic, me with the yellow sled.  You sure can't say we don't have a fitness training program/gym right here in our own back yard.  It's half a mile from the road to the storage locale.  Together, we just got the last of 350 pounds hauled  up and tucked away.  We're sitting here enjoying a cup of Chai and savoring this bittersweet moment...the beauty and the beast of winter.