The Minnesota Farm Woman

I love living somewhere where the seasons change. Who doesn’t love the awakening of spring, fishing or gardening with the sun on your back in the summer, or enjoying the cooler days of fall and the gorgeous colors that come with it? But winter? Winter is definitely NOT my favorite season. Not by a long shot. By the time Christmas is over, I’m ready for spring. Unfortunately, when one lives in northern Minnesota, one must take the good with the bad, and spring will always be a long time coming. I don’t mind snow or cooler temperatures, but there’s quite a difference between cooler and a gazillion degrees below zero. When it gets that cold, I tend to lose my sense of humor and surreptitiously make plans to become an uninvited guest at my cousin’s condo in Arizona. Really, Cousin DeeDee. Don’t be surprised if I show up on your doorstep, suitcase and chickens in hand. The neighbors wouldn’t mind a few chickens hanging around the pool, would they? They do tend to keep the bugs down and the roosters really aren’t that noisy. Being a Farm Woman in the middle of winter is not easy. The chickens need to be fed and cared for no matter what the weather. Heat lamps need to be turned off and on and checked for safety. Yesterday, I spread a few bales of straw in the coop for extra warmth. I know from experience that mice often burrow in the straw and I don’t want one running up my arm like last year. I screeched so loud that the icicles fell off the edge of the roof and sounded like an avalanche. Today, the heated water bowl froze to the ground and the icky old water had to be scooped out by hand. Chickens are not the cleanest animals on the planet. I wiped the dish out with a clean rag which froze solid during the walk back to the house. Now that’s cold. Thankfully, a couple of the old gals are very cooperative and sit on the eggs until I get there so they don’t freeze. Since I don’t have my own feathers, warm winter attire is not an option but a necessity this time of year. If I’m not wearing my heavier winter coat and boots, they’re packed in my car with at least one blanket and a few disposable hand warmers. I hate to complain about the cold so much because usually the coldest days are the most beautiful, with blue skies and sunshine so bright that I often pull out my summer sunglasses. Another good thing about winter is that there are no garden chores to be done, so there is time to read, watch movies, or play computer games with the electric blanket turned on, or maybe that’s just me. Other people like to skate, go ice fishing, ski, or ride their snowmobiles. I prefer inside activities unless the ice fishing house is well heated and I don’t have to use the potty. I think the expression “freezing your buns off” originally came from a Minnesota woman who drank too many hot toddies in the ice house and had to step outside. Writing always cheers me up, and writing about winter has made me feel so much better about it already. Just think, we only have three months to go, if we’re lucky! I might even dare to tell you my favorite part about winter and that would be….when it’s over.