Bright Winter Days

The kind and wonderful comments and emails from each one of you who have prayed and left comforting words for us with the passing of my dear husband's father are so appreciated.  His mother is doing really well, considering. They both had been in a nursing home, mostly because he was so ill that she couldn't keep up the care for him at home, and she didn't want to leave him alone, so she and him shared a room there.  She has had some health scares recently as well, and she is still weak from an episode she had back in December.  However, she is planning to go back home, even though the family is worried about how she will manage.  She is a strong and determined woman, and she tells me that she has been making laps around the nursing home, trying to get strong enough to leave.  We are praying that the Lord will work out all the details for her in this transition period of her life, with so many hard decisions, and moments to walk through.  Thanks to all again who prayed for our family during this time, it really meant so much!

Here in North Idaho, we are full into the dead of winter, yet even with all the snow we have gotten, there is a glorious beauty about it all that does not feel "dead" at all to me, in fact, everything is bright, beautiful and glorious.

Mornings are always a special joy, to see the sun laboriously make its climb into the horizon, and this particular morning, the show was grand.

My sleeping garden under the thick carpet of snow...

The purple and orange-hued clouds danced with their brilliance, the show just lasting a minute or two.

Long enough for me to run back inside to get my camera, and get a few quick pictures.  When the skies put on this display, you don't dilly-dally... but I wouldn't be dilly-dallying outside anyway... the temps when I took this picture were -8 below.... brr!

In fact I didn't know if my camera was up to the cold either, but it didn't let me down!

My early morning chores include rousing the chickens from the roost.  With the temps so very bitterly cold, they are not too eager to get moving either.  I don't blame them a bit.  Even with the heat lamp in the coop, the temps were still very cold in there for them.

Watchful Momma Deer and her crew skim the perimeter of the yard, they are quite knowledgeable of the dogs' territory, and stay a good distance beyond it.

I've been throwing corn out for the deer and the turkeys, and I think they appreciate my efforts.

A peek of our house, with the driveway plowed again.  We got close to another foot of snow over the weekend.

Winter in all its glory, this is the part of winter I love the best ~ cold, clear, brisk, and glorious.

The sky couldn't make up its mind today whether to be overcast or sunny... happily for me, the sunshine won out for most of the day.

Each post with its own unique snow topper.

Snow topper views...

A lovely picturesque winter scene... notice how the fence is quite buried in the snow...

We've been having regular visitors to the chicken coop that have become a problem.  The turkeys are desperate for food, and seem to think I should be feeding them too.  The hens will have none of it.  They chase off this turkey again and again.

Finally I call in Annie, and she comes running, and the turkey makes her departure.

Quite pleased with her efforts, wouldn't you say!

Won't you have a seat in such a lovely cool spot!

The varying warm (20s) and cold (below 0) temps we are having are causing huge icicles to form along the roofs.

Annie and Roger stay quite busy dealing with the turkey population we have gathered round us. I feed the turkeys beyond the reach of the dogs, but that doesn't stop the turkeys from trying to hang out around the bird feeders whenever they can.

I feel like I'm walking through a snow cave as I leave the house to walk to the chicken coop, with all the snow piled high from the driveway being plowed.

A pensive Annie... as she watches our Watchful Momma Deer from a distance.  She and Annie know each other quite well... lol!

We have had such beautiful days of snow-shine around here, that it is hard to stay inside, and Annie and I have gone on long walks together, to get outside and enjoy the beauty around us.  There is something so invigorating with the cold crisp air, and the bright sunlight bouncing off the snow that lifts the spirit and heart.  I've grieved the passing of my dear father-in-law, especially since I was not able to attend his funeral, but the glorious days of snow-shine have done their part to heal the sadness we feel with his passing, and for that I am grateful.






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