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Monday, February 6, 2012

Portraits on a Snowy Day

Our farm is small by Ottawa Valley standards, where 100 acres seems to be a minimum requirement for using the title, farm. We have just under four acres; for us, it is just enough. We have fenced pastures, a few good barns, a pond, and a rough cedar bush that is just the right size for our small children's explorations and adventures. The smallest one doesn't last long out there (seeing as how the snow is up to her chest), so I trade places with Daddy when he brings her in for her nap.
 I find a few snowy wood-folk out amongst the old cedars; these children are made of sturdier stuff, and would play all day in the snow if hot chocolate didn't call their names from time to time.
 This one smiles shyly for the camera, and my heart is captured once again, as deeply as it was on the day I met her for the very first time.
 And of course, the barn cat follows us on all outdoor adventures, hoping for a rub around the ears. He always gets lots of loving when we're outside with him.
I am flooded by memories of my own childhood:  endless wanders out to "the bush" behind our house, following trails we created with our travels to landmarks we'd named: Dead Man's Tree, Rabbit Hill, Mayflower Field, The Great Pine. I remember our dad taking us on winter hikes to the old mining property in Quebec where he spent his childhood; he'd make a fire, and we'd cook hotdogs and warm up hot chocolate. I remember steering myself, on skates, around poplar trees and grassy mounds on the edges of a frozen lake.


I've always been more of a stay-inside-and-knit kinda gal, while others go on outdoor adventures. This winter, though, something has shifted in me. I'm craving the joy of skating on an outdoor rink at night. I want to make a fire in the snow and cook lunch for my children. I want the roses to be on my cheeks and the snow in my hair, too.

13 comments:

  1. I want the snow in my hair too! Your pictures are just great and even if I can't feel the snow, it's nice to look at it.

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  2. I love it, too. Last night while dinner was in the oven, John and I walked through our bush and out across the field behind. The sun was setting so the snow was pink and orange and we found the tracks of coyotes, turkeys, rabbits, and mice. It was beautiful and coming in for a dinner with rosy cheeks and cold toes was just wonderful.

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  3. What a spot you have! It looks like the perfect place for adventures of all kinds.

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  4. What beautiful land you have! The pictures are lovely. I'm more of a sit-inside-and-knit girl myself. Enjoy your time out in the snowy cold. It's beauty is unparalleled, I think.

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  5. I love the pictures of the kids. Your post brought back memories of my growing up in the mountains of Colorado. My brother and I would play out in the snow all day and come in for cocoa and warm, dry mittens.

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  6. Those faces. They melt me.

    It's nice when you push yourself to be the outside in the snow-type, isn't it? Sometimes I need to force myself out the door, but it's almost always worth. I expect that's the same for most things.

    Your land sounds wonderful! Have you been there long?

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    1. It'll be four years this coming August...enough time to birth a baby within the house, plant lots of perennials, do a few fix-ups, and put down roots that get deeper each day.

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  7. Your post brings back memories of my girls here on our farm. They too had named different spots around the place, The Back Field, The Potty Tree (long story, LOL), The Bears Den (from tales told to keep them close) and Spring Creek (how obvious is that?)
    PRIVILEGED children we have to grow up in this wonderful environment!

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  8. Such a perfect spot for adventure and fun!! Wonderful pics.

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  9. Such beautiful photos. Portraits are my favourite kind of shots. And such a landscape you have to take the portraits in!

    M's blue eyes are just brilliant.

    I find the desire to go out into the wintry wonderland increases as the kids get older and it gets easier to prepare them for the outdoors. I've spent far more time outside this year as well.

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  10. Love the snowy pictures. We enjoyed walking our land a lot over the past couple of days, but we are lacking much snow (which has me worried).

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  11. I am so jealous! My back has been really hurting since the snow fell and I am desperate to get out there! Your kids have such a peace and beauty about them, oh how happy and lucky they are to live on a farm with such loving parents. What a life! x

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  12. your barn cat looks like my barn cat except for the snow on it! Lovely pictures....your blog is really great! I love popping in!

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