Another Winter Wonderland!

I awake to a winter wonderland again! Yes it is beautiful, but we have had so much snow, that I fear the long, uphill driveway will have no room for cars if it has to be plowed once more. As I look out I see the Rhodedendrons highlighted with fluffy white snow and they are beautiful for sure. As I stumble around in my studio in the dim morning light I find it a bit difficult to feel inspired. I look at several tables with projects sitting on them waiting to be finished. My art cards with images of batik I have done on one table, some smaller batik sit finised, ready to be tagged and rolled up. I have a selection of scarves tied after the first dye bath and ready for shibori patterning to be added with the next dyebath. Suddenly I find myself involved and anxious to finish some of these many projects I've begun.
I look out again and now see the rain has begun and created sparkling patterns on the window. This is inspiring..........

Good by to February!

February, the shortest month can often, seem the longest. That was the case this year. Most of the month being cold, cloudy and snowy. There were some beautiful days however, and the light was much stronger, giving off a feeling of optimism when the sun did shine. The winter has unique and beautiful images and the snow covered fields give a feeling of spaciousness and also have sculptural effects when the snow drifts. Even looking out the window in the early morning is different and special every day. I wanted to share some of these images with you but my mind as all of us are now focused on spring, still quite away off.......

Unexpected............

February is close to being on it's way out. We've had a few bright sunny days but mostly cold and snow and this morning it is snowing again! I have had colder times in my life, down to 40 below zero when I was young and we lived below Mount Washington, in New Hampshire. I have seen much larger snowstorms than we were dealt this winter, up to three feet with gigantic drifts. but never has it happened that we have had months of very cold with no break. This has lead to a multitude of unexpected problems resulting from the buildup of large amounts of snow on roofs.
My heart goes out to those who lost many great cows as barns collapsed on them. To the people who were injured trying to unload their roofs of snow, as well as the financial and physical hardships of rebuilding and doing without what is needed.
Many abandoned buildings that dot our countryside of course, caved in. But so many new ones were also included. I've picked a few pictures of how the snow left the roofs successfully saving the buildings at Hoyt Top Dairy where I help to feed calves. Both the free stall barn for the dairy cows and the giant coverall for baby calves were completely cleared of snow, very tricky work, especially Jay on the coverall; see also Eric on the free stall barn. More snow is also coming off at Dancing Ewe Farm. (Tim from the, tractor bucket). As I look out the window, snow has clouded the nearby fields and will soon close us in to heavier snow..............

Morning at Dancing Ewe Farm

As I walk toward Joanne's old farmhouse at Dancing Ewe Farm a small flock of gentle grey- brown morning doves flies away from their bird seed treat that Joanne sets out daily. The whole farm has been buried under the plentiful snow we've had and the temperature has remained steadily cold, keeping every fallen flake.
The lambs, which are now as large as their Moms, need feeding and watering and the large herd of dry ewes, over one hundred, awaits their new feeding of haylage ( silage made from grasses and legumes). The beautiful Marema dogs which guard the sheep have been playing happily in the early sun of the day. These are specially bred dogs from Italy which are bred to guard sheep and keep predators away.
The sheep have lots of warmth now with their heavy wool coats and will be shorn when they lamb and begin milking again in March. We all look forward to the spring pasture of late April and May. It seems like a long time away.............
See pictures of Vanilla, the ewe, Faith the female guard dog and Sartucci the male. Also view of the farm covered with snow.

Gift from Mother Nature

Last night I felt the cold winter rain as I came back home. It was still very cold and it was surprising to have the wet drops falling into the snow. Thunder and lightning rumbled and flashed to our west letting my husband and I know something unusual was happening.

This morning I awoke to a winter wonderland! Looking out the studio window to the northwest was a breathtaking sight. I was drawn outdoors by this beauty and the fact that it was twenty degrees, instead of zero or below, and strapping on snowshoes proceeded to plow through the snow which had a wet crust over the abundance of snow beneath. Very slowly I plodded out short distances from our home with my tiny camera.

Every where was so beautiful, I took a lot of pictures and managed to stay on my feet through most of it.

Looking up brilliant, looking west a bit dark and foreboding. The little birdhouse on the old tree by the house had icicles hanging from it. I walked on and the great pine tree in the field to our south was covered and bent but taking it well. The snow and needles made a great textural pattern. A little farther on was an old apple tree that had some small shriveled apples still on it. This tree had been feeding deer since November.

I plowed slowly on through the deep snow enjoying all I saw and taking more and more photos, when once again, tripped by the crust, down I went, snowshoes stuck underneath. Finally I freed myself from the drift and headed home looking like a snow woman of old.

More Sun!!!!!!!

I like to wake up with the sun. In the winter it doesn't wake very early. I look out the window to a dim dark view of the day and turn on lights to feel perky. Finally the sun peeks over the hill behind our house and shines through the Rhododendrons next to our home. It is a welcome sight! I find myself craving the sun this time of year and take a walk enjoying the atmospheric mist that has attached to everything, but all remains a cloudy haze.

In my studio I find the sun as the subject of my work today: see two examples of silk painting. I think back to summer days when I would hope for some clouds to ease the sun's glare and can hardly believe I would wish such a thing. At the day's end, which didn't take that long to reach, I peak at the sun, bright red until it dips below the mountains and briefly casts a pink glow to the evening sky.

Cold, cold mornings

The cold mornings of January are now here. Ten below zero again and again. I look out of my chilly studio window and looking north see a drifted white field that leads to a low hedgerow lining a brook. The sun brightly highlights the steep bank on the other side and my eyes follow up and across an unmowed field that has sprigs of brown - gold grasses pushing up through the snow. On the far side of the field is another strip of large trees before a layer of long white field which is capped by a high tree covered hill, puffy in the early morning frost. The trees to the east are highlighted golden in the early sun. I am humbled by nature's beauty.
I think back to those mornings on the farm when I would go out and see the hutch calves with frosted faces, heifers with muzzles and ears tinged in white, and my two Morgan mares with their long manes spilling over with the devil frost They would all be frisy, happily diving into their food. The milking cows would be in their stalls until late morning when they too would go outdoors, to romp in the snow and eat until the time came for the evening milking.