Disbelief

Every year about this time I take a look at some of the pictures we have taken during the season and this year I was struck by two things.

1. We don't have very many pictures for this season.
2. I found myself saying "That was THIS year?  I don't believe it!" ... a LOT.

Record Snowfall - Winter 2018 / 2019
Yes, really.  that was just this PAST Winter.  Considering the current weather seems like we have already entered Winter 2019/2020, I am guessing you don't want to be reminded about the last one.  But, you know me, I'll just do it anyway!

In a very real way, I find this therapeutic.  Why? 

Well, I've found that I am VERY grumpy about the colder than normal weather and the fact that we've already had multiple snowfalls by November 11.  It's not just because there is still so much to do on the farm before the ground freezes.  After all, if I am completely honest with myself, I am always rushing to get it all done before the ground freezes.  Every.  Single.  Year. 

Picture from atop a drift on the farm in late March.

I am the sort of person that suffers from "Moving Target Syndrome."  My to do list is never done because I keep adding more on to it.  "If I could only get X done before the snow flies" becomes "if I could only get X and Y done" which then becomes "X, Y and Z."  This doesn't mean anything on the list is unimportant.  It is simply a recognition that there is much to do and less time to do it in.

Getting back to the point I was failing to make.  The grumpy feelings may well have something to do with how much we were feeling Winter not that many months ago.  We had drifts at our North bush line that had me standing tall enough to easily see OVER the top of our high tunnel.

Late April snows don't usually help May flowers too much

That's not all of it.  We had late snows again this past year with a measurable snow in late April.  Yes, that snow went away fairly quickly.  But, if you were thinking it was less than half a year between our last snow of one season before we had our first of the next...  you were correct.

This has nothing to do with amounts of snow.  It also has nothing to do with this being completely out of the ordinary.  We know full well that snows can happen in late April and in mid to late October.  But...

It took us until late June before our roads recovered (most of the way) and I was just getting used to the idea that it was ok for me to wear short-sleeved shirts.  Now I am back to wearing enough layers that I have to turn my whole body in order to look to my left or right.  The laying hen flock is already giving me "that look" that they give me when the weather gets cold.  The Outdoor Farm Supervisors (the outdoor cats Inspector and Soup) have already taken to giving me the 'pitiful look' in hopes that I'll let them into the basement.  The Indoor Farm Supervisors (Bree and Hobnob) won't let me sit down to do office work without one or both of them attempting to command lap space so they can feel warmer.

Looking on the bright side.  I got to throw a frozen tomato.  Instead of 'splatting' it kind of cracked apart.    And, I am already looking forward to the forecast that has daily highs in the 30's.  My how quickly we can re-frame for ourselves what 'nice weather' can be!

Now watch this... we'll hit 60's in December.