Our Last Big Snowstorm (I Hope)

I go out to do the morning chores soon after it is light. On snowy mornings, I often see bird tracks all over my steps:

And the newly fallen snow had coated everything and made it beautiful. These were the Rugosa Roses, with the barn in the background:

I walked to the road and photographed the neighbors' horses, who had moved to a farther field than usual:

Chickadees called from the bird feeder post and from the lilac bush:

The orchard glistened with new snow:

The neighbors' barn, with my lilac bush in the foreground:

The old fashioned Bridal Veil Spirea, looking almost as pretty in the snow as it will when it flowers in the spring:

I fed the cattle and shooed them out the door, where ever-hungry Tabitha began nursing from her mom, Rosella. Notice the beautiful trees in the background:

On the other side of the barn door, some of the cattle were getting their usual after breakfast drink of water:

Remy and Blue were the last ones out of the barn:

It was all a peaceful, winter scene:

I looked back toward the house and thought how grateful I was to live here and how I didn't hate winter as much as I usually say I do:

October Around The Farm

It's certainly been a lovely autumn around here and the chickens have been doing their job by looking picturesque:

The little hens spread out all over the driveway, lawn and orchard. They get a lot of exercise and eat a lot of bugs. They'll miss all this when the snow arrives and they get locked inside for the winter:

The fantail pigeons have been enjoying the autumn by coming outdoors more:

And they had one autumn baby:

This photo was taken only three days after the above photo. You can see how rapidly the little one is growing. I'm pretty sure that's Papa with the baby. The male is bigger and has a puffy chest, and also is the one who tends the baby in the afternoons. I've read and observed that male and female pigeons have such regular schedules:

The Rugosa Roses are putting on a spectacular autumn show:

A storm was rapidly approaching when I took this photo out of the upstairs bathroom window, looking toward the northwest:

And then I took this photo, looking toward the southwest:

Looking toward the north, with many yellow apples still clinging to the tree:

Looking toward the south, out of my bedroom window. This is my little orchard:

I had no second floor windows looking east, so I had go downstairs for this eastward photo. I hope these photos will help convey the great beauty here, at least at this time of year. It will look a lot different in a few months: