“There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you…. In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself.”
— Ruth Stout
The new year’s gotten off to a slow start, though not intentionally so. There were still deadlines to meet, projects that need attention, and a whole new season to plan for.
Instead, I gave into being sick, took copious naps, read a lot of novels, drank many cups of herbal tea, and generally retreated.
I like the new beginning that January represents. I also like what Simona says about not wanting to make resolutions, “…which feels like a burden we place on the new year before it is old enough to stand on its feet.”
So, we’ll let the year unfold, unburdened, and wait for it to reveal itself bit by bit.
This day, I learned how to make a snowman, or at least the start of one. It would seem an obvious thing, though not to me, having grown up in sunnier climes. I imagine this a skill passed on from sibling to sibling, parent to child. The snow’s receded since then, but the giant ball of snow remains. It now looks like an iceberg, sitting in the middle of our field, growing slightly smaller every day.
Diary of a Tomato 
Fabulous, beautiful photos. Wow. As for snowmen, you need to rotate that ball a bit more as it grows so it will be rounder. I LOVE making snowmen. Never snows here in so Cal.
Hope you are now fully recovered and all is well. Not to worry, there will be plenty more snow for you to perfect your snowman making skills.
I hope you’ve fully recovered your health and I hope the novels you read were all good. Glorious photos of your snow-covered corner of the world. As I was reading your last paragraph, I realized I have never made a snowman. I am glad you liked my words :)
I’m glad you’re feeling better. Your photos are beautiful, as always.
So far removed from my warm and dry reality and such a welcome post to read as a result.
What are your hoops made out of that cover your beds? We used gray PVC and we can’t successfully keep store bought plastic on as a cover because it splits.
The hoops are made of gray PVC electrical conduit. The plastic comes in a 10 foot width, and the piping is cut into 9 foot lengths to allow some overlap. The plastic is 3ml, lasts about 1 year; we found the 6ml harder to work with and added more expensive. Hope this helps!