Early Winter

This past week was a first after nine years of homesteading in the Ozarks.  The temperature dropped dramatically Wednesday.  Warnings of a big snow and ice storm covered the internet.  I awoke to a pretty cold room Thursday morning and the occasional sound of sleet on the roof and skylight.  It was odd, in that it was just a few grains of sleet, even when I went out to do chores, there were just a few grains on the frozen water tubs.  I've never seen sparse sleet before.  The temperature just hovered at the freezing mark, into the afternoon.  Along about mid afternoon, the sleet arrived full force and steady for perhaps only 20 minutes, but it was followed by snow, that didn't stop the rest of the day and into the night.

It was still snowing the next morning when I went out to do chores.  Even though it was cold, the snow provided a wonderful insulation on all the water tubs.  It took no more than my walking stick to crack the ice in every pan.  Such joy and delight I took in my Heavenly Father for making things so pleasant in the midst of the storm.  Even now as I write this, I am reminded of how blessed I felt in the midst of that storm, knowing He had His hand over the matter and was literally with me through that storm.

I'm very grateful to be homesteading, but freezing cold weather is not my favorite, yet all I could do that morning, was think of the things I am thankful for.  It was an amazing time of gratitude . . . gratitude that I'm not trying to do this in the northern Rockies, gratitude that I didn't have to drive to work, gratitude that the animals had plenty of hay and shelter, and gratitude that there was a nice hot pot of coffee waiting for me in a  nice warm house.

Speaking of a nice warm house brought back the memories of a couple of ice storms that did leave the entire area without power for days, even weeks.  This storm brought no power outages in this area, which was more reason for gratitude.  I was given plenty of advanced warning of this early winter storm, back in July, when my best milker, Stella began to put on a winter coat so early.  When I first began homesteading, I heard YHWH tell me, in regard to the weather, watch the animals.  For that simple statement, I am doubly grateful.  One that I can hear His voice and two, the animals have given accurate forecasts for nine years, now.