Danger from above

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Some fairly impressive icicles have formed along the edge of the barn roof.

However, they are fairly dangerous as well, as they don’t stay on the edge of the roof.

This particular one landed straight up right outside the cats’ door (the gap cut out in the barn boards). If you imagine a cat fitting through that hole, that might give you an idea of the size of these icicles.

The roof edge above the human door was clear thankfully, but Matt rightfully thought that all creatures should be safe, so he went to work removing the daggers. As the edge of the barn roof is about 20 feet in the air, this was a bit challenging. Heaving things at the icicles seemed to be the most effective.

He was successful in the removal, but we now have a hunk of wood on the roof of the barn. Not quite sure how we’ll get that one down.

Sunrise special for breakfast

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

With the switch to daylight saving time last weekend, the view from my breakfast table has changed a little bit.

Yesterday, a week of cloudy days gave way to a beautiful pink morning.

As I watched the sun come up, I thought of my Auntie Anne, a great cheerleader, a loyal blog reader, a sometimes commenter and a sunrise watcher. When we first moved to the farm, she asked if we got sunrises and sunsets. Yes, Auntie Anne, we do.

The party after the storm

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

The morning after the snow day dawned bright and sunny and mild–perfect for our winter party. Outdoor activities were the plan for the day, and we were well set with the weather… if only people could make it up to the house.

First on the list was to clear the driveway so that it was passable for a car.

Matt went to work with the tractor, while I dug out the walkway and our cars with the shovel. A flat tire (beyond repair) presented some challenges, but Wiley managed to power through.

Second task of the day was to prepare the pond for skating. My plan had been to send everyone down to the ice with shovels, but, with the huge amount of snow that had fallen, that probably wouldn’t have been the most fun. Thankfully my cousin had offered to help, and he showed up with another snow blower mid-morning and went to work clearing the pond for us.

By early afternoon we were all set, and a couple of hours later people started to arrive. Arrivals for the most part consisted of people opening the door, handing me the food they’d brought and then turning around to head out to the pond or the fields.

It was good that we’d cleared the ice, because nearly everyone had brought their skates–including my Dad with his vintage pair.

The rink was a huge hit, even considering the cracks that opened up around the shore. We’ve come to the conclusion that our pond does not like to freeze. The ice held Matt, my cousin, me, the snow blower–and later two small hockey teams. It was solid. However, a few fissures along the shoreline and the water that bubbled up between them resulted in some soakers when people went for out-of-bounds pucks. It made for a unique and memorable hockey game.

Away from the rink, a large group with two four-legged scouts headed out across the fields thanks to a bunch of snowshoes supplied by another cousin.

The final piece of equipment that arrived–albeit a little bit late–was another cousin’s snowmobile. (Yes, I have lots of cousins).

In addition to providing hours of entertainment, we also provided food and tours (for most people it was their first time at the farm) when they finally made it back to the house.

I have a fairly large extended family on my Dad’s side, and most of us still live fairly close. We don’t get together as regularly as we used to though, so it was nice to see everyone and catch up.

The morning after, hockey sticks, pucks, snow shovels and Matt’s GT in the snowbank in front of the driveshed are a reminder of the fun.

Snow day

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Friday brought a record-setting snowfall, a day off work for both Matt and me and lots of unusual happenings, like going back to bed at 7am, eggs and bacon for breakfast on a weekday and movies in the afternoon.

Some of the other unique ways we spent our time included rescuing a not-so-bright kitten who decided she was bored in the barn, but then spent some time cowering under Matt’s car when she realized there was no one outside to play with and the snow was too deep for her to return to the barn.

In this oh so flattering picture, Easter is being de-snowed over the kitchen sink.

We returned the kitten to the barn, which was definitely more sheltered than under Matt’s car but still slightly snowy. Lots of light and fluffy snow combined with strong winds meant drifts were everywhere, including inside the barn.

We traded the kitten for Matt’s GT snow racer, picked up a crazy carpet that came with the driveshed and headed out across the fields.

Snow was deep and the field with the best hill is farthest from the house. The walk was a workout, and rest stops were required.

The quote of the day came from Matt: “I don’t remember tobogganing being this tiring when I was a kid.”

A tip for anyone else who’s no longer a kid, yet still wants to ride his GT snow racer: the best way to “fit” on the sled is to ride in a mostly standing position.

Kid or not, a snow day is a pretty good deal–an unexpected free day. No excuse needed to stay home, break from the usual routine and have some new experiences.

Who else loves a snow day? Have you had one yet this winter? Anyone have a pet who’s not too smart? How about a GT snow racer? Matt figured out that his is about 24 years old. Have you been tobogganing this year?

Snowy winter weekend

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

The biggest snowfall in several years is forecast for tonight. As I was arriving home, the flurries were starting to fall, the wind was picking up and the snowploughs were scraping along the road in front of the farm.

I could see the storm coming over the fields as dusk was rolling in.

It appears the weather gods heard that our winter warm-up party is this weekend and that sledding and skating are on the agenda.

We’ve had a full week of cold temperatures, so the pond seems to be well-frozen, and as of tomorrow we hope that we’ll have enough snow for sliding over the fields.

Plus, if by any chance work is cancelled tomorrow due to the weather, I’ll have some extra time to test the ice and the slopes. Not that my fingers are crossed or anything…

ETA: The weather gods and powers that be cooperated and work is closed! Woo-hoo!

What do you have planned for this weekend? Any outdoor activities or parties on the agenda? What’s the weather like at your house? Have you had a snow day yet this winter?

Jack frost

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

The view from the sun room on a sunny frosty morning.

Within a few minutes, the frost had melted away under the warm beams of the sun and the windows were clear.

When I’m busy working, my eyes are always focused on the next thing I have to do. I’m glad I took a moment to look up and notice the pretty scene right in front of me.

Did you do any sight-seeing this weekend?

Ice capades

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

Our January thaw from two weeks ago gave way to a deep freeze last week. The result was a thick covering of ice on the pond, and the result of that was skating!

We’ve been keeping an eye on the ice all winter, and it was finally thick enough for skating. We headed out with shovels to clear the snow from our own private rink.

Shoveling the ice made us realize how big the pond really is. Matt finally resorted to just clearing paths around and across the ice. Fortunately, the snow was thin enough that we could skate right through it.

Some coyotes had tested out the ice early in the morning.

Here’s Matt’s version of an action shot:

Matt’s skates hurt his feet, so we reenacted Rocky’s and Adrian’s first date, making a circuit of the ice arm in arm, Matt in his boots and me in my skates. By Sunday, though, he decided to give his skates a try, using the “learn-to-skate” technique of a chair for extra support.

If I’m being honest, the chair got more use as an actual chair, as the skates were still pretty uncomfortable.

Another warming trend is forecast for this week, and it may be awhile before we are able to skate again, so Matt’s feet have plenty of time to recover. Sore tootsies aside, we each still enjoyed checking off another new experience at the farm.

Did you have a new experience this weekend? Have you been out skating yet? Any tips for finding comfortable skates? Did you push a chair when you were learning to skate? For those non skaters out there, what animal tracks are you seeing at your place? For those that prefer indoor sports, who else is a Rocky fan?

Gobble gobble

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

At the top of Matt’s list of animals he most wants to see at the farm is wild turkeys. Well, we still haven’t seen any actual birds on our property, but over the Christmas holidays we found definitive proof that turkeys come to visit.

(The larger tracks walking diagonally in from the left side of the picture are Matt-tracks).

In the deep snow, I have to look pretty closely to identify the tracks as turkey. They walk one foot in front of the other, and, if they plant their foot properly, I’m sometimes able to pick out their distinctive three-toed print.

According to the tracks, 11 birds came through our farm. In some spots, you can see where their wings dragged as they were walking along.

While lefty has to deal with droopy wing syndrome, the guy to her right obviously has his own problems. My diagnosis is likely too much Christmas cheer.

Back in the marsh, where the ice was covered with only a thin dusting of snow, the tracks were unmistakably avian.

I wish I had thought to put something beside the tracks to show their scale. These are some big birds.

Since the thaw last weekend, we no longer have snow to help us with tracking. Matt’s fingers are crossed that the turkeys weren’t just passing through and instead are ready to become permanent residents. We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for signs.

January thaw

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Julia at Home on 129 Acres

A thick fog on Friday night made for a hazardous drive home, and heralded the arrival of warm weather. Saturday afternoon found us outside without jackets. Saturday evening as we walked down the driveway in the dark we could hear water flowing in the creek.