The Winter that Wasn’t…So Far

We used to speak of the epic brown Christmas in the early 2000’s, when an area farmer’s ploughed field was captured by high winds, which blew the top soil across the light layer of snow, turning it brown. We’ve had icy Christmases, where we did our best to keep the grandparents inside and off the slick lanes and porches. And we’ve had many, many snowy Christmases, like last year’s epic dump that coated everything and stayed well into spring.

But this year is quite exceptional, with highs in the low 50’s and drizzling rain. The gray and rain lasted for days, and we couldn’t help but comment that if this was snow, the farm would be buried beyond recognition, rivaling last year’s pictures with it bending over trees and piling on roofs.

What little snow we did have this year melted away, and all was wet and dripping. The frost left the ground, and we had mud again—mud, like it was April! My car burrowed down into the soft gravel of the driveway, threatening to get royally stuck. It certainly didn’t help any of us feel like it was Christmas in the Northwoods!

We did things we’ve never done in late December on the farm: trenched an electrical line into soft ground, even harvested fresh spinach for a salad from the garden. The garden! Not the greenhouse, not a high tunnel, from the outdoor raised bed garden. We’d planted it in the long cool fall, but when the below zero temps came, we surmised the plants were toast. But with the rainy weather, here they came back again (at least most of them), growing new leaves!

When the family was trenching the electrical line, Mom saw a wooly worm caterpillar in the yard. Not curled up and hibernating but instead crawling across the grass on a mission. All the wildlife must be so confused. Do we come out of hibernation now?

Winter is part of what keeps us hearty here in the Northland, what gives us a whitened reprieve from all the browns and grays of November. Those who live or come here to play in the snow certainly miss it, and those of us who rely on the blanket of insulation when Mother Nature decides to really turn down the thermostat wonder and worry if we’ll have enough. Yes, the moisture is good, and because we lost the frost it’s able to percolate down into the soil instead of run off, but it feels very…odd.

A bit more than odd really, to have a winter that wasn’t. At least that hasn’t been yet. The mood swings are a telltale sign that the Earth is unhappy and in a grumpy mood, which is no surprise if you are aware of the symptoms of climate change.

The farm animals too are grumpy, as the damp weather thaws out their bedding and collects on walls, ceilings, and concrete floors. There’s extra bedding that needs to be hauled to keep them dry and comfortable, and to hopefully stave off pneumonia in these conditions. For them, once we reach freezing, it’s kinder for it to stay in those temps, than to fluctuate about like this.

This morning, frost coated every twig and grass, sparkling like diamonds in the morning sun. Clear skies last night foretold of a chill and a rare sighting of the winter stars instead of a perpetual blanket of clouds. The high today is supposed to be in the low 40’s, so soon the bejeweled frost will disappear. As January approaches, perhaps, winter will begin to return and settle in.

Whichever way this winter that wasn’t yet decides to turn, we’re sure to find out! These remarkable temperatures do make it tempting to plant something in a high tunnel, just to see if it would make it for an early spring harvest. Who knows if I’ll be back for a second picking of that spinach in January, or if this was just a Christmas treat. Fingers crossed for snow before the deep cold arrives. See you down on the farm sometime.