Tuesday at the farmette

I stand corrected: today is not Wednesday December 21st and therefore it is not the shortest day of the year nor is it the first day of winter. All that comes tomorrow.

And in fact, though it definitely does feel like winter already, the temps perk up a bit, reaching the mid twenties F (just below freezing) by mid morning. And the sunshine is enchanting!

Breakfast. It's my usual beginning and I like to start with it here, on Ocean, even as I know that I'll have to give Ed a break one of these days. But for now, he is in the photo...






... and I am as well, because Ed's feeling a bit impish today and so he snatches the camera away from me.






I've deliberately set aside time for skiing. Let me throw the laundry in and then let's go! Ed's been out on the trails of our local county park twice already while I was away. For me -- it's a wonderful first run, made all the more great because we had so few snow packed days last winter and so the skiing season then was terribly short.






The wind is steady and it's shifting the snow a bit...






... but put your face out to a winter sun and the world is a good place again!






A selfie, to commemorate this moment.







And a few minutes past noon, I pick up a radiant Snowdrop.







And because it is just that much warmer outside, I suggest to her that we take some bread and walk out to the barn for the cheepers (who will not be coming 'round to the farmhouse now until the snow significantly melts off the path). She's happy to do this, so long as she, too, gets a slice of bread.






(The hens peak out, but only for a fleeting second.)






Back to the farmhouse then...






... to the world of play. Here, the Eiffel Tower is on board for a plane ride. (Day two of a successful pony tail!)






And of course, the minute she sees ahah, she wants that famous melted cheese on bread -- no baguette this time, but she's quite happy with a whole wheat bagel as a substitute.






Where there's a Snowdrop, there is music, especially since the little one has figured out not only how to turn on the record player, but also how to get it to stop after her favorite song and go back a replay of it. "The Little Saint Nick" is heard an awful lot around the farmhouse these days!






(She continues to chomp on her cheese topped bagel, teasing Ed as he tries to conduct a work phone conversation in the sun room.)






(Here's a curious thing: Snowdrop is trying very hard to balance a book on her head. One always wonders -- is she bringing home a school thing, or is it her own doing?)






After nap -- hair tussled again, but spirit intact.






Very intact. (Ahah, do you want to eat orange? Cereal? Sushi?)






You cannot be upset with the world when Snowdrop is within arm's reach. You just cannot.