Winter on the Farm Begins

Layering up and strapping on my cross country skis to head out with the dogs is one of my great pleasures in farm life. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it is that brings me so much joy-it's a combination of things. The insulating silence of snow is one. The way it muffles all but the most significant of sounds helps my mind do the same with my thoughts. It's the winter air, too, which in its crispness feels cleaner and more nourishing than usual. The physical exertion plays a role, getting the blood flowing, and the layers peeling off. And then, of course, there's the sheer joy in watching the dogs having the time of their lives leaping through the white stuff.

That being said, I have to describe one of my dog's love of snow. All three of them have a blast in the snow, think it's the greatest thing since roasted bones, but one of them I can honestly say LOVES snow. If you could see him in it - sticking his whole head in and sort of dive/rolling into it, you'd know I'm not saying that flippantly. That much sincere joy is inspiring wherever I see it, and watching my dog in the snow is no exception.

These are the things that fill me up energetically, and yet there are times when I think to myself "I'm too tired". How can I be too tired to do just the thing that gives me more energy??? Why does my brain do that to me? Well, that could take some time to analyse, and quite frankly, I don't think it's worth the effort. To me, the lesson in this is that my brain doesn't always know what's best for me, and ignoring it really isn't that hard.