snowing again! hooray!

just a little flurry action outside this afternoon, but it makes the cocoa taste better and the carols sound better!

i just came back inside after fixing up the chickens with their very own heated water fountain. i got the idea from backyardchickens.com and it uses a metal cookie tin with a bottle lamp kit inside. i used a 40 watt refrigerator lamp, so we'll see how it works! it's inside the pen, under the water fountain. all reviews online says it works well, and for $5 it's a bit better than the $35 100 watt pre-mades from tractor supply co!

i have more cookies to bake, and am making venison soup for dinner (stop by, there will be plenty). i didn't get to go hunting again this year, and uncle don only saw two deer, so we'll really be emptying out the basement freezer of what little venison there is left.
i am trying the meat-free monday plan (which is easy after so many years of vegetarianism) and intend to try being a locavore family as much as practical this year. a sound plan for our local economy and easy on the planet too.