I’ve been pining for snow all of November. Rain and weirdly warm temperatures had turned the pasture into a muddy, smelly mess, and grey skies day after day was dispiriting, to say the least. Yesterday morning began with a gentle snowfall, which delighted me to no end.

Snow swept up the valley and down from the Green Mountains all day, and by evening we had several inches of snow: soft, fluffy snow that was somehow so comforting. Snow makes some farm chores more difficult: the outdoor water sources have to be drained, and getting buckets up to the flock can be challenging, to say the least. But, all in all, lovely and clean snow blanketing the filthy pastures and hardening up the muck and mud, makes the extra work worthwhile: it makes for heart-stopping scenery while I work.

The flock came in as evening snow was picking up, they were happy to be in for the night. I went about the chore of shutting some gates and opening others, and then rested for a long while, taking in the magic on the big barn on a winter night:

Bowie was off barking in the distance, warding off some unknown threat. I could hear the sheep moving around in the barn, feasting on their evening hay. My cloak of gloom lifted, and was carried away in a swirl of snowflakes and winter air.