Many people get depressed around the holidays. This was my first Christmas without my daddy. I miss him. Period. The whole month of December is so busy that I kind of find it hard to be too depressed. It’s go-go-go all month long. I think it’s depressing when you pack up all the Christmas decorations like the funny reindeer my son, Sam, made when he was little with the red nose in the wrong place or the evil looking snowman Adam, my oldest son, made in middle school. I’ll also miss the twinkling Christmas lights, my husband, Kenny spent so much time hanging up. We don’t have much traffic on our road so not many people get to see them. I’m sure the people that do see the lights appreciate them.
After New Year’s, I put everything in bins and then Kenny, takes them out to the barn, hoping the stink bugs don’t get in them. We have to cover everything with a tarp because carpenter bees love the old wood in the barn. During the spring they’re buzzing like crazy and making a mess in the process. It looks like there’s a sawmill running in the barn with all that dust.
Personally, I think January is more depressing, but I still enjoy some aspects of it. December is so busy that by the time January gets here, you’re worn out and want to just sit on the couch and watch television. Thankfully, we do get to enjoy some warm days, here and there, in between the rain, ice, and snow. That’s my favorite time to walk around on the farm. The creeks are swollen and running like crazy, the pond is extra full and there are more waterfalls coming off the mountains. You also don’t have to worry about getting hot or swatting mosquitos.
I love to sit by the warm fire during the winter, but I don’t like all the extra work. Having a wood-burning stove keeps you real busy. Kenny usually brings the wood from the woodshed and parks it in a wheelbarrow on the porch. I’m usually in charge of emptying the ashes, cleaning the glass, and getting up at night to feed the stove. I’m looking forward to the nights I don’t have to get up. The stove is a necessity with this old house. It’s a little drafty and hard to heat but on the bright side, it does seem cooler in the summer. Sometimes, I’m cold and so bundled up with extra layers, that when I go outside, I’m surprised if it’s warm. It takes the house awhile to catch up.
The chickens usually don’t come out of their pen too much during the winter unless it warms up. We lost a cow last winter. It was cold and snowy, and she was on a hill. It was so slippery that she couldn’t stand up after slipping. Sally, my duck, doesn’t mind the cold weather too much. She’ll get in the icy creek and bob her head in and out of the water like it’s nothing.
We’ve got lots of porches at the farmhouse and they can be a pain, trying to keep them clean. During the warmer weather, spiders and wasps must think it’s the perfect spot to build their homes. During the summer, it’s all I can do to keep the mildew wiped down. You’d think that wintertime would be less work, but you’d be wrong. The birds like to roost on the porches during the winter. I like birds but they poop. A lot! I’m not a fan of cleaning it up, especially when it’s cold outside. Sometimes it won’t come up. By the time I have to resort to scraping it up I’m mad. I have to say, that when the porches are clean and it’s pleasant outside, there’s no better place to drink your coffee, read a book or just enjoy the day.
The dreary January month will end eventually, and then, like my grandmother always said, February is a short month. By the time spring gets here, you appreciate it so much more than if it was nice all the time. Everything will be fresh and new again and then I’ll be complaining about the heat.
Karen G. Bruce 