February - Winter Arrives



Rob plowing the yard.

We woke up this morning to a blanket of snow covering everything. We went from having almost bare ground to a winter wonderland overnight. So far, the winter has been mild and open, with a few exceptions. We have had more rain than snow and many days on the plus side of zero. Last night's storm was a welcome diversion. The eight inches or so will help insulate the chicken coop, and the main the house for that matter.

Rob used the tractor to clear the barn yard and driveway, while I shoveled paths to the door and the hen house. It took about an hour to clear the yard of snow. We then put on our skis and skied around the fields. It was hard work, but it was lovely to be out and it wasn't too cold. Cole loved it and he's flaked out on a blanket sleeping now.

We been getting an average of seven eggs a day from the hens and this weekend we purchased an incubator and we put dozen aside to see if we can hatch them. We're already looking toward the spring and trying to figure out how many chickens we need to raise for the freezer for this year. We only have half a dozen left from the ones we raised last year.

The seed catalogs have arrived and I am reviewing my options for the garden. Last year's venture was quite successfully and I am anxious to build and expand on it. We'll plow up an area on the east side of the big barn and the pen were the pigs were housed last year. I plan to grow my tomatoes, peppers, herbs and lettuces there.

In addition to the chickens, we're purchasing a horse this year as well. We're still deciding whether to go with pigs again or try our hand at raising a cow or two.

In another week or so we'll own an additional 20 acres of land. We're in the process of purchasing an adjacent piece. The transaction will add another field and some cut over woodland. We think we'll plant some Christmas trees on some of it.

We also met with a local carpenter to discuss what we need to do to build a small shed for the tractor. We'll cut some trees off the property and have them milled by a neighbour with a portable mill. We have a handful of spruce and several doze poplar ready to harvest. We hope using our own wood will help manage the cost as well. Plus there's is a sense of pride knowing it it came from our property and it is one step close to self-sufficiency.

This is the first time in year's where I haven't felt like winter is dragging on. The lack of storms and the excitement about the spring both make it fly by.