I was walking out back the other day and found this little "terrarium" buried in the ground. Can you see the little green leaves inside? They're difficult to see in the photo but they're on the bottom left of the jar. Hard to believe a little plant could still be alive in there after the ground is frozen!

Our house was build on a portion of what was once a huge farm, and apparently their garbage dump was in what is now our back yard. We've found lots of nice old bottles, many unbroken. I have some on the mantle and have been swapping out seasonal greenery.

We've just been able to purchase 24 more acres at the back of our property at a tax sale. We got it very cheaply and are thrilled that no one will be building a housing development behind us. About a third is heavily wooded, another third is protected wetlands (birds!), and the last third is partially cleared. Who knows what wonderful treasures we'll find!

Here comes winter, again!

After a rainy warm-up yesterday, the temperature is falling from the forties to the teens tonight. Actually we'll be glad for the ground to firm up a little. We have 22 chickens and their yard is so muddy that the S.O. almost walked out of his shoes yesterday when he was feeding them. When I was teaching, we had at one point probably 15 chickens or so, and I took eggs to school and sold them for $1/dozen - just enough to help buy more feed. Over the years the numbers had thinned and we were down to only 3 chickens. Well, one day Pete (the S.O.) was in Tractor Supply buying feed and they had 20 little chicks that they were having trouble selling. They offered them to him for 25 cents each and he just couldn't resist - and they were, of course, absolutely adorable. I don't know why they were selling them in the fall, but that's probably why no one was buying them. Anyway, they are fully grown but not yet laying eggs. The one on the right may never lay an egg I would guess! But isn't he beautiful?! We're thinking with the cold weather they might not lay until spring. Have no idea what we'll do with all the eggs. Friends and family I suppose.

Day 1

While I haven't had a blog in years, I have a nice list of blogs that I keep up with and enjoy very much. It's amazing how connected you can feel to people you will probably never meet in person or even hear their voices. I like the sense of community I've observed in "blogland" and want to be a part of it. So here's my first post!

Sweet Lucy feeling lazy.

This photo sums up the kind of day we're having here in upstate New York. We had some sun this morning, but now it's gray and cold. Christmas is over; once we're in the New Year we'll be waiting for spring - although it will be a long wait here! We've had a couple of snow storms already, but no snow remains on the ground. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of it.

This morning I took my daughter to the airport and she's heading back to San Francisco after being here for the holiday. Too short of a visit, as always. I understand the need to live away from home as I was the same in my 20s. I lived in New York City for many years and only moved back after my daughter was born to try to give her the "idyllic" small town life I had grown up with - surrounded by family. I wonder if she'll ever do the same?  I can only hope she finds contentment wherever she choses to live.

This sweet kitty was rescued last winter after we had observed her for several days in the yard. One day we watched her eating bird seed that had fallen from the feeder and set a have-a-heart trap, caught her, took her to the vet to have her checked over and spayed and brought her home to begin the long job of acclimating her to life indoors with other cats and dogs. She's now a member of the family. Her name is Lucy, but she answers to "Meanie" - she loves scratches and rubs, but has very sharp claws and lets you know when she's had enough! We love her!