The Snow Moon
Feb
The snow moon gave us a heavenly showing these past two nights as it lit up the night sky.
Hopefully it’s radiance captivated you as well.
It’s as if its luminescence is guiding us, “you made it this far into this old fashioned winter and you have the endurance to see it through. You’ll probably be better for it as well.”
This winter has tested us but it has also brought clarity.
In keeping our woodstove humming along, our firewood supply is dwindling faster than previous seasons. I’ll have to stock up this spring to have a seasoned stash for next winter.
The icicles on the Breadery are the longest they’ve ever been and we spied our first cross country skier on the trail recently.
A somber point of clarity
We also said farewell to our cows, Bella and Darla as we shift our focus to smaller livestock and operations.
People often ask why we name all of our animals despite knowing that one day they may get harvested.
“Doesn’t that make it all the more difficult when that one bad day comes?”
My answer is yes, it does. But I kind of want it to be that way.
If it’s painful and emotional, it should be.
As their caretaker and facilitator, I want them to feel loved all the way through and know that I am grateful for what they are offering.
What I do not want to be is numb to where our food comes from.
Warts and all, this is what farming is all about and I am made wiser and humbler by the realities that this lifestyle forces us to face, with dignity and respect for the lives we come in contact with on the farm.
