Dear Farm Journal,
Winter has surely settled into every corner of Keewaydin. Garden beds lay empty under thick sparkling snow. The wind whips fiercely through the pines. We make frequent chilly trips to the basement to stoke the wood stove. Rufus and I lay in bed reading James Herriot’s “All Things Bright and Beautiful” out loud to each other. Last winter we read, “All Creatures Great and Small” and frosty days are the quintessential time to curl up with a book and a man you love. After we read a chapter or two, we head to our yoga room, newly decked out in a variety of twinkly lights and spread out our mats. Rufus, of course, needs to double up on his mats for his “frail wrists” as he says. I personally don’t think there is anything frail about this farmer, but okay, comfort is important. We are weakly committed to our 30 day yoga challenge, which, at this rate, may take us all winter to complete. We both really enjoy yoga, but in the summer we just don’t make the time. It sort of happens informally in the gardens. Well, not yoga exactly, but a lot of stretching, bending, and strengthening. In the winter, however, we need to put forth a little more effort to maintain limber legs and keep those 5 to 10 extra pounds at bay. At the end of the practice, we peel ourselves up from shavasana, brew a hot pot of coffee, and attempt to make a productive plan for the day from our scattered clutter of ideas for farm projects. This time of year has the potential to float by as we meander through the short days if we don’t put a proactive foot forward.
~Joy