THE NEWS FROM LAUGHING WATER FARM

I just heard my wall clock strike eleven, it is abut time I began hitting the keyboard. I haven't quite recovered from the dramatic change in the weather. It was fiftyish on Monday Morning and 15 F Tuesday Morning and Monday Night we had a blizzard.

I mentioned on Monday that we had a function to attend to that Evening and the forecast was not favorable. I wanted to keep an eye on the weather while we were there as not to get caught in the snow storm. Well we were having way too good a time to pay much attention. We were being reacquainted with some old friends and meeting new ones. When I noticed it snowing I decided to leave. We only had twenty-five miles to drive, but I am an old codger.

It was snowing briskly when we left Cambridge and it appeared to get more ferocious as we went North. The wind was driving the snow in a way that was blinding. We couldn't see much with the lights on dim, but on bright they were worse, as the snow reflected the light back in our face. Jamie serving as my guide and navigator warned me more than a couple times that I was turning into a driveway and not a roadway. Twice I turned into driveways by mistake far enough to back out. We had to drive so slow, that it seemed a long time from when I would see the sign for the road we wanted to turn on, to actually come to the turn. I didn't record the time, but I think it took us over an hour to drive the twenty plus miles. I was very happy to turn on the dirt road that led to home. By the time we got home the snow had abated and if we would have waited another half hour to leave we might have had an easier time.

It was all good. It was a remarkable adventure. It was good to discover the old guy could still do it.

On the domestic front, we caught our first mouse of the season. They usually invade the house earlier in the Fall. It has been a relatively mild Autumn. It is also possible that Jamie has been catching them all along and I am too out of it to know it.

My sheep are disappointed in me because I am not giving them the kind of hay they prefer. My hay man is late in delivering me the big bales they like. It didn't matter until yesterday as the pasture was still good, but now with the snow cover, they will need hay. I have some old hay that will get them by, but they know how to complain when they are not completely happy.

It was only 13 F when I got up, but the Sun has been shining off and on and it is now a balmy 22.1.

This is not a day to report on the big world. As one of my departed brothers would say, “Be good to yourself”. Love your neighbor.

And that is the news from Laughing Water Farm.

Love and Peace, Gregg