First Snow

Compared with last year’s intense snow dumps, this round of winter has been quite lean for snow. A dusting here and there quickly melts, with no accumulated, and warm stretches bring back the browns of the bare earth.

“How are thing your way?” I was asked recently on a phone call.

“Well, pretty good, though we’re hoping for some more snow.”

There was an odd pause on the other end, followed by, “Well, that’s a refreshing attitude to hear someone who wants the snow. Usually, I just hear folks complain about the snow.”

I explained that here in the north, on winters where we don’t get snow, the frost penetrates so deeply it can kill your pasture grasses, perennial crops, even damage or kill fruit trees. The snow acts as an insulating blanket, helping to keep these essential plants safe.

I remember one winter when there was hardly any snow and bitter cold, contractors digging basements in the spring still found the ground frozen eight feet down. Septic systems froze, water pipes burst, it was a mess for everyone! So yes, snow is something to look forward to in winter on the farm.

This last week, we had our first measurable snow, which has managed to stick around several days now. It started in the late afternoon (which of course is dark this time of year), snowing all night and lazily into the morning. It’s not deep, but the ground is white and gatherings of flakes stick on the trees, roofs, and deck rails.

There is a cleanness to the fresh, new snow that brightens the dulls of browns, tans, and grays of late autumn. One of our favorite ways to celebrate the first snow is to start baking Christmas cookies, and Kara whips out the old family recipe for spritz, rummaging in the cupboard for the crank press with the insertable carved coins that fit into the end to turn the firm, almondy dough into trees, dogs, camels, wreathes, and more.

In the barnyard, the experienced animals are familiar with snow, but the younger ones act as if they’ve just stepped into a magical winter wonderland. As we make our way into deep winter, snow doesn’t hold the same allure, but when it’s the first of the season, the animals love to rush out to their winter pens and eat as much of it as they can.

Chickens peck at the snow as far as they can reach by stretching out their necks in order to avoid having to stand in it as much as possible. Pigs snuffle about in the snow, eating the flakes as well as looking for tasty morsels they may have missed the night before. Sheep nibble it off the ground, fence rails, hay feeders, even off each other’s backs when it falls down thickly. There is a glee about them, as if these fresh flakes are their equivalent to ice cream.

This morning, a few random tiny flakes patter down from the tin-gray skies to join their compatriots below. Warmer weather is in the forecast, and if it happens we’re likely to lose our current snow again and have to start over. Or, perhaps, it will stay cloudy and we’ll keep it, gradually adding enough to keep the plants cozy and happy below.

As the ground is covered, visits to the birdfeeder increase as hungry feathered friends search for an easy meal to help them stay warm. Tracks of all the small creatures become visible in the powdery white, as squirrels, voles, and even a resident weasel make their rounds. The weasels and the snowshoe hares have anticipated the arrival of the snow, their coats already turned a frosted white.

I’m happy to have snow for Christmas, enjoying not only the aesthetic of all the fluffy white but also knowing that it helps to keep Mother Nature sheltered from the harshness of deep winter. A good snow is also an antidote to a summer of drought, so we’re happy for the moisture all round. Let it snow! See you down on the farm sometime.