Winter

Snowy Farm Mornings With The Mares

The one thing that I still miss about the farm is the silent snowy mornings. Moving to town has its advantages in snowy weather… streets get cleared a lot faster and the grocery is a lot closer but something is just not the same, let me explain.

My horses on in the top pasture on a snowy morning.

My horses in the top pasture on a snowy morning.

When you own livestock you never get a snow day. So the mornings for me always started early even in the cold. I would get up early, like all farm families do, so I could get the feeding done before work and school would take the day.

Dressed in my coveralls, hat, and gloves, I head out of the back door of the farm-house. I cross the back porch and hear the first crunch of the snow on a step. Walking my way to the barn across the yard I look for them but can not see them in the top pasture. Even though the barn doors are always open the herd of four quarter horse were never in the barn until feeding time.

Even if they heard me tracking slowly through the snow they never moved. They stand at the farthest point away from the barn on the top of the hill. I holler at the top of my lungs”Here Girls!” and get no response. Just the quite… no cars or trucks, no snow plows (sometimes for days), no other person for miles was outside on a 12 degree morning. I reluctantly fill the feed buckets with two heaping scoops of sweet-smelling grain. I Complain to myself about walking up the bank into the pasture to looking for them.

You do it to make sure that everything is alright if they do not come in. Horses trapped in fences, cases of colic and babies born in the open all happen when humans are not looking. Today was not going to be one of those days. I open the gate with the frozen chain and hear it bang as I swing it through the snow and across the frozen ground and into the pasture. The hill blocks my view. No knickers or neigh for me to hear from the group, just my snow boots crunching up the slope to the orchard trees.

Annabell in snow at the farm in Jane Lew

Annabell in snow at the farm in Jane Lew,West Virginia.

Past the orchard trees, I finally see the huddled mares in the upper corner of the field. Snow only ankle-deep and they still do not want to move. “Come on Girls!” I yell again, this is ridiculous I think as the wind blows the quiet snow in my eyes.  I give in and walk to top of the hill and discover I am out of breath and breathing hard. The steam I blow matches the clouds that surrounds them. They breath in and out almost in time and the moisture from the four 800 pound bodies rises into the air. They see me and two heads turn as I finally come close enough to actually touch the snow-covered beasts.

Their winter coats are such good insulation against the cold that snow flakes dance on top of the longest hairs of each animal. Icicles form on the whiskers of each damp muzzle and each wet eye lash. The mares do seem to mind the cold and seem more at home in the winter snow.

Daisy with skippy in snow

Daisy with Skippy in the snow on the Jane Lew farm.

For the small herd, standing and sleeping is more comfortable than slipping down the hill to the barn. I can’t blame them, they have stood together most of the night and have melted some of the snow on the ground . I sneak up close to the oldest mare and slide my gloved hand across her back and talk softly and she murmurs back to me. I get close and feel the warmth of her 100 degree body against me. Warmth and friendship, could life get better for her?

The others push closer to me, nose to nose, they breathe me in and I, them. The smell of the mare’s breath and coats is warm, round and deep. It is the smell of the summer dirt, fresh-cut hay and dark warm stalls.They smell of old barns and fresh shavings,of carrots and cookies, of sunshine and creek water. I kiss each nostril in turn.

Hidden in my coat pocket is a lead rope that I slide around the old mare’s neck. I clip it under her chin… more imagination than rope. I lead her and she willingly follows me down. The younger horses gallop back and forth across the field, bounding, bouncing, jumping and twisting.

Horses Playing in the snow

Horses Playing in the snow

Play time for the young and feed time for the old. I walk her through the gate to the barn, each following her lead without a fight. Her head lowers into the bucket and she blows out the air in her lungs as if to sigh. The rattle of those buckets is the only sound for miles. The sun rises to the shifting sounds in my barn. I toss hay into each stall as the last of the gain gets lipped out of old buckets.

My chore is almost done. The water is thawed and waiting when they finish their meal. The gate is locked up tight. I am alone again in my walk back across the large yard. My cheeks are cold and frosty but my heart is warm. I think to myself…. “Love You Girls” as I hear the squeaky snow under my boot.

 

Categories: Country life, Farm work, Friendship, Horses, Jane Lew, Memories, snow, Winter | Tags: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

What I Saw on The Way to The Grocery Store.

I know most people do not get excited to go grocery shopping, but every once in a while I just enjoy driving the back roads to shop at a little tiny grocery store in the country. I stop at this store for a lot reasons, one is they have a ten pound meat sale every month and they still cut their our own meat. I know that sounds like a silly reason but when you get tired of buying Wal-Mart and Kroger prepackaged meats and start thinking about butcher controlled quality and quantity it is a big deal. So I drive out of my way ( 18 miles) to a family owned I.G.A. in the middle the woods in a town called Rock Cave. But my trip was a little more beautiful today then normal. The sun was out and the fresh fallen snow was beautiful so I took the my camera along for the ride.

I headed off with an idea of taking a new self-portrait  for the “About Me” portion of the blog and getting a load of groceries. What I did not expect was to take an hour chore and 36 mile drive into a 5 hour 80 mile photo adventure that included shopping and meeting some wonderful strangers along the way.  Who knew that I would see so many beautiful things on my way to the grocery.

As I left Buckhannon I stopped at a local church to enjoy the snow-covered cemetery yard. Some thing about a church with a cemetery just speaks to me.

Reger United Methodist Church Buckhannon. WV

Reger United Methodist Church Buckhannon. WV

Then through French Creek to a huge southern home with hay roles in the front yard. You know you are liven in the county when you bail the front yard.

French Creek house with hay bales  fadeout

French Creek house with hay bales fade-out

Then to Rock Cave to see a house that a friend of mine said they were tearing down. The cabin for years had white vinyl siding and today I finally got to see what was underneath.

Log cabin along Rt#4 Rock Cave, West Virginia

Log cabin along Rt#4 Rock Cave, West Virginia

The temperature was running about 15 to 18 degrees as I stopped at every interesting place along my journey. So it was fast shooting and trying desperately to keep my digital camera working in the cold.

full front view of cabin on rt#4 Rock Cave, West Virginia

full front view of cabin on rt#4 Rock Cave, West Virginia

After filling my hatch back full of staples and meat at the I.G.A. I then drove down the road to a wonderful cattle barn. Not as old as the cabin above but just as wonderful. I thought sepia would make the barn more interesting.

Cattle Barn in Walkers Vill, West Virginia tinted to look old

Cattle Barn in Walkersvill, West Virginia tinted to look old

Then off to Napier an unincorporated town where frozen water falls formed along the rock walls everywhere.

Rusty Ice along the road

Rusty Ice along the road Napier. WV

Water falling on icy rocks at Napier. WV

Water falling on icy rocks at Napier. WV

Then finally to where I thought I might get a nice portrait for the blog. I wondered around Falls Mills Park for a while just looking at the water and the beautiful snow before trying to get this photo. I took several shots to get this one but in the end I think I got some thing I can use.

Self Portrait of JoLynn Powers at Falls Mills, Braxton County. West Virginia

Self Portrait of JoLynn Powers at Falls Mills, Braxton County. West Virginia

Lovely how the fresh snow makes the water look such a beautiful color.

GE DIGITAL CAMERA

I drove on further from home and ended my journey at Heaters, and Flatwoods, West Virginia about 46 miles from my home one way. Here I found a lovely house that I would say is the typical farm-house of West Virginia. Built during the 20’s and 30’s there are thousands of these homes hiding in our hills. This one is also has a working cellar in the back. I love old stone construction so I had to get a photo of it too!

Farm house at Heaters WV

Farm house at Heaters WV

 

root cellar behind house in Heaters West Virginia

root cellar behind house in Heaters West Virginia

Finally I reached the interstate junction and thought I better eat and head home from my grocery trip. It had taken almost all day to explore a long winding road and the things along it . I finally stopped to get a hamburger and fries when I discovered on the way back to my parking place that a Crow had taken up a resting spot next to my car. I think he was wondering why I did not have anything to offer him.

crow in snow

crow in snow

I hit the highway and headed home thinking about my car full of goodies and great day spent really looking at the wonders of where I live.

I am going to keep trying to do photo projects like these in the future. I just need to learn to slow down and see all the wonders around me.

 

Categories: Appalachian Mountains, Braxton County, Buckhannon West Virginia, photo review, snow, traveling, West Virginia, Winter | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

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