I am not a winter person. I don’t like the cold, I don’t like the snow. I don’t like the lack of garden. I don’t like not being able to accomplish things. But, I live in Atlantic Canada where the air hurts my face 6 months out of the year, so I should be used to it by now.

We have accomplished one task that required us being indoors. The main beam in our current living space is triple-laminated. At the joints it was showing minor sag. Only a half inch or so, but that’s more than one wants to see. So we jacked up the beam at each joint until it was level again and bolted a 1/4 iron plate to each side of the beam to hold it strong and straight. Wasnt a major job; only took an afternoon, but it needed to be done.

Otherwise, winter is slow in terms of work and busy in terms of planning. I have several seed and plant orders in already, and should be pretty much done with the buying for growing season this year. It was supposed to be a light year garden-wise but that hasnt turned out to be true. I started this year’s planting a week ago and I only have about 6 weeks before it kicks into high gear.

Spring/summer is gearing up to be busy build-wise and that is GOOD, but it does mean my time and energy is already committed. Absolutely worth it to actually have rooms with doors within a couple years. I am very much looking forward to that, if not to how I’m going to be for those couple years.

Even before things harden enough for building, we have plenty to do. We acquired a very beefy weedeater specifically for brush last fall, and ut will be pressed into service vefore things wake up too much come spring. We need to start clearing the chaotic brush around the more intentional forest orchard, house and pasture areas before the trees get too big.  We can also start on the small garden shed, proper compost bins, woodshed, and if we get really ambitious, the bread oven. Always more projects than there is time, energy or money for.

In the meantime, I keep the fire burning and spend my days ushering the kids through their schooling, cooking, and trying to keep the (very annoying) concrete floors remotely clean. Life in the slow lane until the sun comes back.