Spring is officially here, though snow is once again in the forecast for much of the Midwest this week. Parts of Wisconsin, including Dodge County where I live, have gone on record as having had more snow this season than in any other year since weather has been recorded. However, it really didn't seem to be so much to me, because it came often and usually in lots of 12 inches or less.

I remember the winter of early 1978 when we had blowing, heavy snow, nonstop for three days and three nights. Visibility was zero. The high winds kept us awake through the night. It blew snow into all the cracks and crevasses of the house, even leaving a little pile of sparkly white stuff on the bathroom floor of our old brick farmhouse, built in 1849 and badly in need (at the time) of new windows! Every day for three days I worried as Jim walked to the barn through that blowing snow while I stayed in the warm house with our two babies. Normally the children and I joined him in the barns for daily chores, but it was too dangerous to take two children under three years of age out into that wind and blinding snow. Jim disappeared from my sight the moment he stepped off the back porch! When we heard the storm was to last for a few days, Jim tied a rope between the house and the barn to guide himself from one to the next; but his walk to our second farm next door was more difficult. Thank goodness we had a German shepherd (named "Blue") who could find his way through the storm. Jim would call the dog, then follow till he lost sight of him, and call Blue back again and again to make his way between the farms. He carried a shovel with him because all doors to the barns and sheds opened out. He had to shovel his way into every building to care for the livestock, twice each day. It's a day's work for a farmer to care for the stock on a "normal" day, but add into the mix having to shovel one's way into several buildings before you can begin each chore and you have a very long day.

When the snow and wind finally ended we had up to eight feet of snow in drifts so tightly packed that it broke county snowplows as they attempted to clear the roads! We put our steers out to get a bit of sun after the storm and they walked right over fences in some places, because the snow supported even those heavy bodies on their little feet! Jim took Jonas (our first born, just under three years old at the time) out to play after days of being cooped up indoors. Together they dug out a snow fort in an eight foot snow bank on our front lawn. See photo below. The trees you see in the back ground are buried with eight feet of snow. Jonas is standing on snow that is about three feet deep, in front of his dugout fort. Blue is on top of the snow mound.

Speaking of snow, while traveling in Sweden last fall I learned that in Stockholm and other cities there snow is collected in huge piles next to municipal buildings, such as hospitals, where it remains throughout the hottest part of the year. Systems are in place beneath the mountains of snow that use it to cool the buildings in the summertime. Since the snow has to be physically removed from city streets anyway, it makes perfect sense to use it in this innovative way!

So far I have two newborn lambs this year, one white, the other black. I am expecting at least one more. This past October I traded my three very old sheep for three young ewes (one black, the others white) and new ram. I chose Romney for the breed because they produce a lovely fleece for spinning. We keep a few sheep on our farm to control weeds in areas around the buildings where it makes no sense to run a lawn mower, and because I like to spin their wool. I have been spinning wool since 1982, when I learned from Susan McFarland, of www.susansfibershop.com, who has since become a very good friend. Check out her website for spinning and weaving tools, books, fibers and information.

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