Rain drops

I woke to the gentle sound of rain, then pouring, and then raining again. It was a sweet sound and very welcomed. I thought for a moment, have I forgotten anything? Is all of the garden equipment and tools in? I went through my check list. All was well and I sunk softly back to sleep.

It’s funny how weather sensitive I am. The slightest little change can make a big difference in my day. Back in my previous life in Seattle as a chef and restaurateur I came to think of weather as simply a tool to measure whether it would be a busy night. Warm sunny days not so much, prep light. Rainy cooler nights very busy, prep heavy. Snow, (on that very rare occasion) extremely busy, staff up, prep heavy. It was all so simple. There was no tractor to put up or tillers to move into the barn. No hay to cover, no need to make sure all 200+ animals had dry shelter. None of that, It could rain (which it did quite often) it could snow, it could be beautiful and clear and it was no big deal. A snow storm here can be, and has been a life or death situation, not for the humans but for the animals.

I’m still working out the trauma of last year’s Christmas Eve snow storm when we lost two very loved bucks from hypothermia. I was in Seattle celebrating the holidays with my family and Linda was here by herself for a very relaxing quiet Christmas. OK, none of that celebrating or relaxing happened. It was a big lesson, one I needed but it was so traumatic loosing these guys that it’s really made us both hyperaware and frankly terrified. I’m dealing with it just by thinking about it a lot and making sure the same mistakes don’t get repeated. So you might notice I tend to talk about the weather with a very ominous tone. Especially winter, its coming its right around the corner. I need to make my peace with it and fast.

But a little rain shouldn’t freak me out so much. I’m really grateful for it. Among other things it makes moving the sheep and chicken fences so much easier, which is how I shall be spending the better part of the day.