One Ear Apiece

After waking to a light snow, I determined that the timing was perfect for the horses' annual Christmas photo. Hubby dutifully moved a wreath to a strategic post. "We'll do it before we feed them," I announced. "That way, we can shake their grain can and keep their attention."

Right. 

I should have been recording video instead of snapshots. Sugar (left) kept trotting up to us, then pretending to spook at the dog and tearing madly down the hill to the exact spot where, she informed us by angrily pawing the ground, she should have already been eating breakfast ten minutes ago! 

As far as capturing the horses' attention, the best we could get was one ear apiece. 

"Perhaps the best Yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles." ~Author unknown 

Wonders and Wanders

A disadvantage of living in a rural, scarcely populated area such as ours is a dearth of stores. Christmas shopping can become something of an expedition, involving planning (who will do the evening chores? which business in which town is most likely to have the best selection? what is the weather forecast?) and much driving. 

But any inconvenience is made inconsequential by the wonders seen along the way. Call me a rustic, but I'd much prefer mountains and mustangs to malls!

"Not all who wander are lost." ~J.R.R. Tolkien 

"I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." ~Psalm 27:13 (NIV)

Presenting Minnie

Of all my little goat herd, Minnie is the most overlooked. Her unassuming personality and creamy uncolor combine to make her less noticeable than her more assertive and striking herdmates.  (How many of us have felt nearly invisible at times?) But Minnie proves that presentation, pushiness and pigment aren't everything: when the sun sets, she's the only goatie that glows!

"Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight." ~Isaiah 58:10 (MSG)

Glimmers

One snowy, bitterly cold day jammed with farm errands and holiday shopping, we stopped at McDonald's for lunch. Amazingly, a group of elegantly dressed high school students filed in and proceeded to sing carols so divinely that every weary face lit up. 

Today we discovered this adorable miniature horse--Tuffy by name--spreading seasonal delight in the normally ho-hum parking lot of Western Ranch Supply. 

I love it when Christmas happens where you least expect it. 

"With every sun's rising, surprise us with Your love." ~Psalm 90:14 (VOICE)

A Respite

Do you, like me, live where summer goes south for the winter, taking the gardens with it? If so, and if your eyes are starved for flowers, then pull on some old boots and follow me...

...down to the barn. Grab a bucket, turn it over, take a seat. Hold out your hand. Wait. Be patient. Like flowers, cows live in a different time zone than we do, on another planet that doesn't spin as crazy-fast.

Like her namesake, Pansy is the bold one that always comes first. If she senses that you are safe, she'll gently nuzzle your fingers. I dare you not to smile.

Marigold is more cautious. She'll study you longer, ask more questions with her eyes. If she comes up to greet you, consider it a great honor.

I hope that my flower girls brightened your winter day at least a little bit!

"...That our God should lighten our eyes, and give to us a little life in our servitude." ~Ezra 9:8 (WYC)

Mine Farming

It's cold and snowy, not the kind of weather that you'd expect anyone to be sowing seed. But in high desert environments like the one where Hubby does mine reclamation, this is actually the best time for planting. 

Bentonitic, rocky, disturbed soils are quite inhospitable most seasons, but winter snows make them almost, a little bit, very nearly agreeable. In addition to moisture, many native species of forbs and shrubs also require a period of cold stratification in order to germinate. 

Hubby tells me that his mine-farming efforts have been most appreciated by the local horned lark populace who have been happily availing themselves of their sudden windfall.  

The jackrabbits don't seem to mind Hubby's intrusion into their home either, even allowing him within four feet. Perhaps they feel safer from the coyotes and eagles when men and machinery are out and about. 

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)

No Gold, No Rush

SCRUNCH, SCRUNCH. Days of semi-thaws and sub-zero nights had made skiing impossible but walking or running treacherous. Out came the snowshoes. 

In my woolens, parka, and footgear, I fancied myself a character in a Jack London novel, with only a few deviations from the Klondike norm. My usually-loyal canine companion had decided instead to accompany Hubby on a more beaten path. I wasn't shadowed by wolves but by our horses, Sugar and Solly. My prescription sunglasses had fogged and frozen, leaving me nearly blind, but no matter, there was no hidden crevasse to sidestep, Yukon River to fall into, or Chilkoot Trail to lose. And, alas, my prospects for finding gold were poor indeed. 

Okay, perhaps London was a bit of a stretch. 

"God cast you in His play, wrote you into His story." ~Max Lucado