It's Solstice Season(amongst all the other Holidays!)

It's time for a change, as the sun (slowly) returns!
The more you farm or do anything that relies upon the seasons or weather, you become less and less aware of the human holidays (and marking of the days) and more and more aware of when the seasons shift, the subtle change of light, the smell in the air, the brightness of the moon and how they affect the plants and animals around you.
Thus it is that Solstice, the marker of when sunlight (the rocket fuel for plant growth) returns and day length increases, feels like a more important celebration than anything else and all the other celebrations of the season just add to the merriment! (Also with Amazon and online shopping, Santa can deliver presents any and every day of the year!) 
There is no Pop Up / Drop Off this week as that is Christmas Day!
So I may not get a holiday from feeding hens or collecting eggs, but I do get a break from wintertime driving and errand running!

All the Hens, Hella, and Me wish you all a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

Most of the past week was warm and wet which melted most of the little bit of snowpack and gave the hens the chance to roam in the mud and the rain!

All the rain and thawing soil meant it was best for me to stay inside and get more cabin painting projects wrapped up!

Now all the window frames are painted and protected from all those plants that fill them up!

The quickly thawing soil meant for muddy runs which got some fresh straw added to it to keep their toes toasty!

The receding snow gave me a chance to check on the perennials that dot the farm and it's amazing that anything keeps going through winter instead of dying back completely, but some do like this Wormwood!

Just as the hens were getting used to their daily free-time, the snow returned with a bang as a windstorm preceded it and shook the valley! But at least there is snow! The hens may not like ti but I do!!!

The heavy winds left a few minor casualties. Many some torn plastic on the runs that I patched up and secured back down and a few broken boards where knots left weak points for the wind to exploit. They'll be patched up lickity split!

Hella ended her self-imposed indoor lockdown (she don't like when it's wet and muddy) to come out into the snow and catch a shrew! She never eats them (they aren't very big or tasty) and also rarely kills them as it takes a lot to accomplish that, but has a 'catch and release' policy with them and they usually escape into a tiny spot she can't get into. They truly are shrewd shrews!

What's available this week?Nothing!  but it'll all be back for next Friday, 1/1/21!!!