Kind of a Manger Scene

It's Christmas Eve, and I have yet to think up a fun and farmy Christmas picture for you! Sorry about that. In past years, I've dressed the poor goaties in ugly holiday sweaters or Santa hats. Once I bribed the horses to pose by a wreath, which couldn't have looked any more contrived. 

I did manage to grab a few shots of some locals eating breakfast in the snow. I wanted to take more, but my fingers were beginning to freeze without my beloved wool mittens. (These were taken yesterday. When we went out to do morning chores today, the thermometer read -17°F. I kept my mittens on.)

Sugar and Solomon have a dry barn but rarely spend time in it.

Ariel's mama, the late Blueberry, detested cold and snow. Ariel doesn't seem to mind it.

Apricot and Daffodil eat more breakfast (and lunch and supper) than the other weanling heifers. Obviously.

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"Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world." C.S. Lewis

Decembery

December looks like December at last. Snow started falling this morning and, according to forecast, won't stop until tomorrow. Too much snow and we'll have to start feeding hay to the cows, but a little white stuff sure is pretty!
  

I'm not certain how much Princess is excited for this, her thirteenth winter.

It's Ellie's first winter and second snow. She played until she was sopping wet but still didn't want to come indoors.

The horses bucked, reared, and raced around in the snow but were happy to eat their supper inside the barn.

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"I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December,

A magical thing,

And sweet to remember:

'We are nearer to spring

Than we were in September.'"

     ~Oliver Herford, "Hope," in The Century Magazine, January 1914

In the Wide-Open

What Wyoming lacks in trees and population, it more than makes up for in sky.

On our run, Hubby and I scanned the hills for wild horses--only saw tracks this time--but the dogs hunted for antelope and rabbits.

Ellie's grown a lot, but the big country made her look tiny. (Hmm, I probably should have posed for a photo here.)

From this hill, we could see the Big Horn, Absaroka, Owl Creek, and Bridger mountain ranges. 

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"Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. " ~Matthew 6:22 The Message

Under New Management

We used to have Nigerian dwarf dairy goats, but Ellie has appropriated them for herself. Yes, we still feed, water, bed, move, milk, and clean up after our little herd, but only under Ellie's extremely-close supervision. The goats aren't that thrilled with their new shepherd. She runs a tighter ship than did the previous administration. 

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"I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun." ~Katharine Hepburn

Ellie's First Hike

The dogs and I were finally able to drag Hubby away from his Sunday afternoon football games to go for a hike. (Truthfully, I would've stayed home to watch the Seattle Seahawks except that they weren't playing on our network. Hubby said that we're not close enough to Seattle, so we usually get the Denver Broncos games instead. I suggested that we move slightly west.) Remarkable weather, amazing terrain, and joyful dogs made him almost forget about wild card teams and playoff standings.

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"The beauty of the world is Christ's tender smile coming to us through matter." ~Simone Weil

Open Enrollment

I put our two senior citizen cows, Princess and Daisy Mae, in the small pasture behind the house where they can get better feed and shelter this winter. They're in good shape but, like other people around here, their joints are a bit creaky in the cold mornings. 

Princess, shown here, has celebrated 13 birthdays and raised 10 big, beautiful calves. Eight of those have been our top-selling steers; one was a heifer whose first calf this year was a genuine hunk. So, if Princess wants to graze the greenish grass in my back yard, she's more than welcome. She's earned it.

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"There shall be an eternal summer in the grateful heart." ~Celia Thaxter

Good-bye autumn. We'll miss you!

Here are a few September and October shots you may have missed, unless you get the Hayseed Files on Facebook. If you do, thanks so much! If you prefer books and nature to social media, hooray for you!

Quaking aspen between our house and barn.

Sugar's fuzzy winter face.

A last-minute pollen shopper.

It's like shopping with a toddler, complete with whining.

Camera-hog. (Taken before the winter fuzz grew in.)

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"Our faith doesn't begin until our ability ends." ~Nicole Crank