First Snow Day of the School Year

School was dismissed an hour early today as our first snow arrived.  When I was growing up in the Northeast, we rarely got out of school despite much bigger snowfalls than we receive now.  I remember our schoolbus traversing the snow-covered country roads with chains wrapped around the tires, and we waded through snow in our driveway that was up to our knees.  We typically only get about three inches of snow at a time these days, and schools are almost always canceled.  Even so, I am always relieved to have my children back home safe and sound while the snow falls and the wind blows on our mountain farmhouse.  We stopped on the way home today to take pictures as we headed up our lane.  Our teen daughter took photos on her phone from the one-lane bridge over the creek.

From the mailboxes at the bottom of our lane, the sun shone on the fluffy snowflakes as we tried to snap pictures.  We all get excited at the first snowfall of the season.  We felt as though we waited a long time for it to come this winter.  By March though, no one is excited anymore.

We had to stop and check out the frozen, snow-covered pond.  

But no one was allowed to officially play in the snow until we got home and they changed out of their school uniforms.

Our youngest wants to go ice skating, but it's been fairly warm here for January, and I'm concerned the ice isn't thick enough to hold us.

The lane looks beautiful in the snow, but it causes me a lot of stress as we go up the mountain since I have gotten us stuck way too many times.

We got so much rain over the weekend that the brook that is adjacent to our house hasn't been trickling or flowing or babbling; it has been roaring and rushing down the mountain.

This is the view from our front yard towards our Amish neighbor's farmstead and up the mountain.  We are so blessed.

Once we were safely home, the younger children put on all their snow gear and went back outside to brave the elements.  It stopped for a little bit until a severe snow squall came along that looked and felt like a blizzard.  We're all somewhat hoping that the forecast underestimated the amount of snow we are to receive tonight, and that we might get a full snow day tomorrow.  This is distracting me, however, from finally tackling all these Christmas decorations that are still up all over our house and cabin.  Like the children, I still feel there is something magical and exciting about the first snowfall of the winter.

The Mountains Beckon Us

This time of year is busy for us all, but it is especially so for those of us with farms.  We need to till and plant the gardens, mulch and trim the flower beds, shear sheep and muck barns,  and that is just the beginning of it all.  Add to that the many repairs and updates needed to maintain old farmhouses, outbuildings, and fences, and the list of chores seems unending.  Yet, here I am spending my days out in the woods, next to the creek, visiting the pond, and hiking up the mountain.  It is as if the mountain is calling me to wander the trails, listen to the flowing creek, smell the blossoming fruit trees and just be still.  I admit that I cannot resist.

Mountain Paths to Tranquility

Our mountain is finally beginning to turn green, and as I walk up the lane to our farmhouse, I am reminded of the feeling of serenity I experienced the first spring we were here.  After spending many years living in the suburbs on half acre lots with neighbors and traffic all around, I was astounded by the quiet, wide open spaces to which this country lane brought me.  I felt as if I could actually breathe more deeply and relax as a peace settled over me.  During the day, the only sounds were those made by nature, and they were sounds left unnoticed in the busy subdivisions we previously inhabited.  At night, my husband and I stood on the porch and looked up at the stars, which were brighter and more numerous than I had ever remembered.  We felt as if we were the only people for miles around.  I told my husband that it was impossible not to feel God's presence in a place such as this.  I now often get too busy with the many responsibilities of having a large family and a small farm, but as spring brings me out on our mountain paths again, I stop and take a deep breath and am filled with a sense of tranquility once more.