The winter has been late in coming, but I risk saying it is finally here. Below zero days and nights and more snow (at long last!) and we're in it, enjoying a proper winter once more.

The goats aren't so sure, their coats as fluffed up as they can make them, and hanging out as deep in the barn as they can much of the day. So each morning I haul a bucket of hot water with a big glug of molasses and a pinch of cayenne added down to the barn to warm them up. (It's like goat hot chocolate, if you will.)

And every day they manage to drink it to the bottom before lunch time, then look at me with pleading eyes, begging seconds.

The sheep, on the other hand can't understant what all the fuss is about. This is the weather they got dressed for, after all. And as long as we keep the feeder full of sweet, fresh hay they hardly notice a thing.

But the kids and I? We noticed. Because winter was finally here.

We had spent much of yesterday around the table, working on various homeschooling projects and lessons. (Some days lately we're more homeschoolers and unschoolers, it seems.) We'd been there all day and still had a few things to complete.

And then the snow began.

And our school day was suddenly over.

It was that silent, slow-motion sort of snow. As we cleaned up our work I kept hurrying the kids along, glancing out the window. Hurry! Before it stops! We put away the books, papers, and craft supplies, piled the dirty dishes by the sink, and raced outside.

This is my favorite sort of snow, like feathers floating silently to the ground. Fluffy clusters of flakes, no wind, and total silence. Oh, the magic of it! We clipped into our skis (a hodge-podge collection that I'm so thankful for, pieced together one thrift store trip at a time) and set out.

To the creek, to the woods, to the ski trail.

To the quiet. Just the crunch and shush of our skis.

And for that I was so thankful.

Winter! It's finally here.

P.S. This 30 second video from my Instagram of our ski is absolutely worth your time. Wait for the ending.

 

A video posted by Rachel Jepson Wolf (@lusa_mama) on Jan 11, 2016 at 2:16pm PST