SO WHERE ARE THE ANIMALS?

Since this is called Barnyard Philosophy, this seems a valid question. All this chatter about Philosophy and not much moo-ing, clucking, neigh-ing or baa-ing are present. So where's the Wisdom of the Farm?

Here's the deal with the Farm thing. Sometimes animals have a lot to teach you about life, death, behaviour or whatever. Othertimes they just are animals. Right now they are content- fat, the weather is do-able minus the discomfort of mud, water is abundant and though they seem to sense a change is coming, they have yet to remember grass. I love this time of year because it is so easy to be here. I have the illusion of control. I have the feeling that I have time, energy, and the cooperation of all animals and spirits. I can rest, wander in the intellectual spheres and even play with my own species at times.

But the push of green is just starting and I know that in the next week everything will go back to "normal".

Normal is:

The urge to "PICK ME" (a much more polite phrase than what is really being said) and to push through fence for grass and the hair and the need and the mowing and the raking and the baling and the stacking and the fences falling down and the sheds needing to be cleaned and the sheep needing to be sheared and baby chickens and turkeys to be kept safe and the calves coming and everyone wanting MORE! MORE! MORE! because it just tastes so good and the grass growing and the machines breaking and the obsessive dependence on Weather.com or NOAH.org and the bills and all the stuff of life that still needs to be maintained and the horse shows and the breedings THEN the firewood and the winterizing and the millions of projects saying "GET ME DONE FIRST OR ELSE!" and the animals saying "NOT ENOUGH! NOT ENOUGH! NOT ENOUGH!" and then comes the snow and the shoveling and the wind and then it will be this time again and I won't remember any of it.

Actually, that list is just the minimum bit.

So the wisdom of the yard says, "when times are slow, take it slow."

How this applies to life is up to me to determine on any given day. For example, right now the sky outside is like a rainbow sunset because there are big grey clouds interspersed with patches of blue. The sun is turning them all shades of purple, green and blue. There is green showing through last years old growth and the hills look as tucked in and cozy as my pigs in their pile of hay. The wind is kicking at 25 mph and I have a warm stove heating the house. The animals are fed. Seems like I could take it easy and not feel I am missing much.

Writing this reminded me that even when lost in my "normal life", I can look up at the sky and everything seems to slow and life becomes "My Life". It is when I look down that life speeds up. Perhaps that is why time goes so quickly when one is on the computer. Maybe that is why that I catch the animals looking at the sky so often. They just stand there looking out for a few minutes before they sigh and go back to eating. Maybe they need to be reminded to slow down too.

The Wisdom of the Yard says, "whatever you are doing, look up now and then so that your life will become yours again. And when you are ready, sigh before going back to work."

Frozen Ground

I have often wondered why New Year's resolutions are made in January- other than the obvious "new year" answer. The ground is frozen and not a good place to plant seeds.

I suppose if your resolution were put into a small pot on a warm and bright windowsill, or in a terrarium- it might grow. Given careful and tender attention, come Spring it could be put into the newly thawed ground. Harvest it sometime in the summer, save the seeds and start again with the same but different plant the following year.

Maybe that is why so many New Year's resolutions don't make it past the first month. They are put into frozen ground instead of given time to establish roots, adjust to the climate, and to become strong and self-sufficient. And there we are- poking, proding, yelling and tugging at the seedling of a dream instead of getting to know this new individual for whom we are the source of life and protection.

So in light of the frozen ground, the harsh winds and the bitter cold, I am going to nurse my dream and keep it inside until the right time for planting.

When it is windy

When it is windy all the animals find a nice pile of hay and face the sun. They close their eyes and pull the warmth of the sun in through the molecules of cold in the wind. They let the breeze fluff their hairs and all the dust of a long hot summer is blown away.

When it is windy, people shut themselves in their houses and miss the opportunity to let the wind cleanse them of their summer thoughts. They miss the opportunity to feel as if one is travelling around the world even though your belly is firm against the still warm earth.

Sometimes what seems like an inconvienence is really an unexpected opportunity.