Winter at the Farm

We have not really had any winter yet this year!  A few frosty mornings but no snow and we've had temperatures in the 70's in January!  I think with climate change we've gone from Zone 6 to Zone 7 and are headed for 8.

The grandkids spent Christmas in Chicago this year with their other grandparents so we cut the Christmas tree very early when they were visiting in November.

 We chose a beautiful 12' cedar tree right on the fence line.

Thank goodness Laura was here to help get it in the house.  It brushed the ceiling but was perfect when we got the angel on top.

I took the kid's Christmas card photos while they were here.

They enjoyed feeding the only two chickens we have left, Gertrude and Tia Maria.

They still love the swing in the oak tree where the house used to be.

The only thing in our garden this time of year is collards.

They came in handy for our traditional New Year's Day dinner of black-eyed peas and collard greens.

We should have plenty of luck and spending money for 2012, based on how much we ate!

I bought a mushroom kit and tried growing oyster mushrooms.  They did great but it's pretty expensive to grow your own from a kit!

The grandkids came to visit in January to help us take down the tree and to exchange presents.

Sadie wore a little sweater, hat, and bloomers that I knit for her before she was born. 

Work has really slowed down on the house since we are doing most of it ourselves now. 

We did install storm doors and windows on the whole house.

It didn't change the look of the house much but has made a huge difference in the temperature inside the house.  No more drafts!

Now we are working on wallpapering all of the upstairs.  

There are wallpaper samples sticking on all of the walls.

We decided on the bottom one for the guest bathroom and finished wallpapering and painting in there.

Tom also built an outdoor pen attached to the chicken house for the peafowl.

Hira and Hansi are living in the chicken coop for now until they get used to their new home.

Hira's tail is supposed to get to it's full 8' in February and March as he gets ready to attract a mate.

The remaining ducks still come up from the pond every day to admire themselves in the basement windows and to eat corn at the guinea house.

Our 45th wedding anniversary was last Saturday and we celebrated with dinner at the Brandon House where Tom gave me beautiful roses in an antique vase.

The sunsets are gorgeous these days with contrails from jets coming and going to Charlotte.

We'll probably pay for these wonderful warm days in February but we are enjoying them while we can!