Writing this morning on the first full day of winter and doing so with joy. On queue, we received a bit more snow here in the Methow and the temperature has dropped. A wafer-thin moon hung to the south as the stars sharpened in the cold, quiet sky above our neighbor’s solstice spiral where we all took turns walking and wishing by candlelight. The resting months for the earth are sanctified by the winter solstice.
At this time of relative peace, I am also aware that winter is a hard time not just for many of the wild animals, but for those fellow beings less fortunate than some of us. We try and keep in mind the importance of sharing goodwill, as there never can be too much.
And, we keep the bird feeder full! For the chickadees and finches and nuthatches also seem to rejoice this time of year. Ahh, these feathered winter champions! Yesterday I heard, and then noticed a big bald eagle perched in an aspen along the lower pasture. He/She sat there and spoke out on and off throughout the morning while we worked – saying what I’ve no idea. But when I let the Labs out to have a wander down along the creek, they became quite interested in something there. Though I didn’t have time to explore just then, I suspect something had recently been turned into a meal.
We enjoyed the great turn out for our annual Open House up here at the granary earlier this month. Really fun to see so many new faces! And hear about how enthusiastic folks are about our grain products. This was very restorative for this farmer indeed; during the day-to-day the reasoning for doing what we do is sometimes too easily lost. So, thank you all for coming! And as always, thanks to those many of you who support us year-round.
Customer orders were brisk indeed as they tend to be moving toward the holidays. Lots of our wholesale customers are beefing up for the season, and many of you are ordering our gift boxes. The crew here continues doing its usual great job sorting through all the different special orders while also keeping up with our distributors. What’s more, so far we’ve been able to move freight in and out of the Rendezvous without incident. Phew!
The nice rains we received in November really set the stage for next spring’s moisture profile. And the ground never froze very deep before we got some snow. Still, we don’t have a lot of snow coverage and certainly hope for plenty more. That said, we’ve got a start and there is a solid snowpack in the high country, and so we remain optimistic for next year’s water.
Overall, it was another year of gradual growth for Bluebird and we will be busy planning strategies for 2018 up-coming. There are various directions we may take. However, to be sure, one thing we will continue to do is deliver fresh milled, Washington grown organic grains and flours to all who want.
A big thank you to our crew here. A big thank you to all of you. Please enjoy this special time and reach out to others. Here’s to a peaceful and healthy 2018.
Cheers, Farmer Sam