While there is no planting going on, farms stay busy, even in the winter months when conditions are not favorable to growing. The cleaning, repairing, and general maintenance is the perfect time in their busy schedules. Replacing equipment. It's all about being ready to go again. Their schedule is not their own. It actually has a lot to do with Mother Nature. She holds most of the cards.
This farm has animals and crops. I would say that most are passionate about what they do. It is an enormous amount of work coupled with an extra dose of drive, and much time spent away from the family. My uncle is a farmer in Pennsylvania and he is definitely passionate about what he does and has never wanted to do anything else. He corrected me and said that it is not a job, but, a way of life. I would have to say that he has got it in his blood!
On the other hand, I don't live on a farm, but, there are seeds in my future. I even got a few different kinds of lettuce because I just love mixing them up. Do you like to mix your lettuces in a salad? Some are crunchier than others, a few bitters mixed in make it interesting. Do you have a favorite lettuce? If I had to choose one, I would say that it would be romaine, then mixed with greens. Did I mention to you that I love to grow my own lettuce? It is so easy!A few seeds, water and boom! lettuce starts to sprout in 2 to 14 days, then I thin them out a little, giving them space to grow. I plants seeds every two weeks just to keep all that goodness coming.
First things first, right? It needs to get a little warmer, the Canadian geese needed to be able to swim around on the pond, instead of walking on the ice, looking for a way to make it happen. This picture was taken when we got snow and the pond was iced over, but, that is long gone. Temperatures fluxuate up and down, but, it won't last much longer. Last year, we started spring early, by the end of Februatry we had all kinds of life popping up. I am hoping for a instant replay on that one. That is only weeks away! Squee!!!!
I was taking a picture of the pine cones, I love how they cling to the tree like a toddler hangs on to their mother. when I downloaded the shot, I was struck by the fact that the photograph came out black and white on part of it and color on the rest. Could it be the sun? I have no answers for that. Let's keep moving, it is a beautiful day for a #WednesdayWalk with 
Standing tall in all of its dormancy, framing the blue of the sky between its naked branches. I used to think that it was barren and a tad bit ugly with no leaves to cover its branches, but, in reality, isn't their beauty merely in the hope and expectation of the season to come? There is hope in my soul, esepcially when I know there is something to look forward to.
Oh, say can you see
The cold earth sleeping the winter away
Leaving a trail of words starting with
Once upon a time, don't you know
Hoping there is #alwaysaflower for her
Anyway, I make a menu plan, which of course, can be changed any time, but, it is a plan, otherwise, I have to pull it together every night. I could wing it, but, why when I can plan ahead. Spaghetti sauce will be made this week, and when I do, I will make a tray of lasagna or baked spaghetti to freeze. You know, for those what the heck should we have for dinner nights that I have sometimes. This is a worthy make ahead! I would probably make two. These are homemade noodles and take time to make, but Sweet Jesus, this is one of my favorite meals. BTW.. It was bolognese sauce.
All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.
My apologies for such a short walk, merely a couple of pictures, the rest was a run through the post. I want to thank
饾惪饾憸饾搵饾憭, 饾挓饾憭饾搩饾捑饾搱饾憭
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost